Overview
- Ritchie Blackmore surprised the crowd at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater by joining Deep Purple for a rendition of "Smoke on the Water" during the band’s Aug. 12 concert.
- Blackmore told Guitar Player the moment was "very moving," said he went onstage to see old friends and added that "it could be the last time we see each other, maybe."
- Frontman Ian Gillan publicly welcomed Blackmore onstage and praised him as a founding member and "the great legend," drawing loud cheers from the audience.
- Blackmore has struggled with recent health problems, including a late-2025 vertigo attack, past heart issues, severe gout and arthritis, and he used a lumbar steroid injection to help him stand for the cameo.
- There is no announcement of further dates and reporting frames the Jones Beach reunion as a likely one-off that heals old tensions but does not signal a formal tour.