Ian Gillan adding the then-seldom played "Maybe I'm a Leo" (named after Gillan's birth sign) and "When a Blind Man Cries" – the latter becoming a mainstay in the band's setlist ever since. He said that their first album with Morse, "Purpendicular", "was a such important record for Deep Purple that without that [other records] couldn't have been possible." He has remained Purple's lead singer, though the band has found more success touring than with producing records. Gillan pays particular interest to the lyrics in Deep Purple, and considers it his prime composing role within the band. Discussing the importance of lyrics,
Ian Gillan 2011. It was subsequently released on DVD. Gillan was in a relationship with Zoe Dean from 1969 to 1978. They had known each other since his time in Episode Six. In 1984, Gillan married his girlfriend Bron, to whom he had dedicated "Keep It Warm" from Black Sabbath's 1983 album "Born Again". They have twice since renewed their marriage vows. Gillan moved to southern Portugal in the late 2000s. Gillan is a passionate football fan, supporting Queens Park Rangers. He is also a big fan of cricket. His surname is sometimes misspelled as "Gillian". Gillan himself made light of this