Ian Gillan Ian Gillan Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan started and fronted several local bands in the mid-1960s, and eventually joined Episode Six when their original singer left. He first found widespread commercial success after joining Deep Purple in 1969. He resigned from the band in June 1973, having given a lengthy notice period to their managers. After a short time away from the music business, he resumed his music career with solo bands the Ian
Ian Gillan due to the smaller workload the band had compared to his own. However, the pair did jam together for three nights at Marquee Club – the first time the two men had shared a stage since 1973. Gillan continued, releasing "Glory Road" in 1980, which resulted in the band making the first of several appearances on "Top of the Pops". He considered the album to be his best work since "Machine Head" nearly a decade earlier. Following subsequent album "Future Shock", Torme was fired after missing an appearance on "Top of the Pops", and was replaced by Janick Gers. Gers