Bogus Deep Purple Purple put an ad in a newspaper underneath an ad for a Bogus Deep Purple concert that was to take place at Long Beach Arena in California, stating: <poem> The following STARS WILL NOT PERFORM at the Deep Purple Concert at Long Beach Arena Tomorrow, Aug. 19, 1980. RITCHIE BLACKMORE DAVID COVERDALE IAN GILLAN ROGER GLOVER GLEN HUGHES (sic) JON LORD IAN PAICE </poem> The real Deep Purple were contacted about the bogus Deep Purple, and their management sued Evans, given that he was the only member of the band who received booking royalties and who had any rights to
Ian Gillan Like Me". Although the band played several local popular music venues, they did not find success, so in April 1965, he decided to join Hatch End based Episode Six. Gillan had been contacted by Episode Six's manager Gloria Bristow, who worked for Helmut Gordon, original manager of The Detours, later to become the Who. He replaced original lead singer Andy Ross, who left to get married, and joined keyboardist and singer Sheila Carter, guitarists Graham Carter and Tony Lander, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Harvey Shields. Gillan considers Episode Six to be his first truly professional band, and in their