In a recent interview with Guitar Interactive Magazine, former Deep Purple bassist and singer Glenn Hughes did not hold back his feelings about his former bandmates Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice. Reflecting on the band’s 2016 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Hughes expressed his deep disappointment and frustration with the trio, labeling their behavior as “rude” and “hurtful.”
Hughes, who shared the stage with Deep Purple during their Mk III and IV eras from 1973 to 1976, recounted the unpleasant experience at the induction ceremony. “I will never speak to any of them again, simply because they were rude,” Hughes stated. “Both Roger, Ian, and Gillan were rude to David [Coverdale] and me. Very, very hurtful. I didn’t give a fuck, actually, because I knew they were rude to begin with.”
The tension was palpable during the event, with Hughes noting that he was the only sober person there. He described an incident where he attempted to congratulate Gillan on stage, only to be met with a cold, dismissive response. “Gillan was rude to me on stage, accepting the award. I went to congratulate him. He looked at me in the eyes like I didn’t exist. The guy has a problem with me, period. I’ll let him run with it,” Hughes said.
Despite his efforts to reach out and mend fences over the years, Hughes revealed that his attempts to build a friendship with Gillan have been futile. “I’ve tried to make some kind of friendship with him over the last 40 years,” he explained. “He doesn’t want to know. David Coverdale and I don’t exist to him. I wish him only the very best, but I have no time left for that behavior.”
Hughes’s comments come after years of strained relations between the former bandmates. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, which should have been a celebratory reunion, instead highlighted the deep-seated animosities within the group. Hughes and Coverdale, who both attended the ceremony, found themselves walking the red carpet separately from their former bandmates and posing for photos apart from them.
The night was further marred by the exclusion of Hughes and Coverdale from performing with the band. “There is a band out there called Deep Purple featuring Ian Paice, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover which was essentially Mark II. Every artist gets to do three songs. Now let me talk to you openly as there was a 99.9 percent chance that Hughes and Coverdale would not be invited to sing,” Hughes said in a previous interview with Metal-Rules.com.
Despite the snub, Hughes maintained that he was not upset about not performing with Deep Purple at the event. “Am I upset about not singing with Deep Purple? Not at all,” he said. “Everybody knows that David and I can sing. Everybody knows that we were in the band. All that mattered to me was accepting the award on behalf of Deep Purple and the fans.”
The absence of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, another key figure in Deep Purple’s history, also cast a shadow over the event. Blackmore, who has not played with the band since 1993, declined to attend the induction ceremony. “David spoke to Ritchie in 2012 during the first nomination. David asked him, ‘When we get in, are you going to attend?’ He said, ‘Oh no, not at all.’ David is my brother and he would have no reason to fib to me, but Ritchie had no intention of attending the Hall Of Fame,” Hughes explained.
Despite the tensions and disappointments, Hughes continues to focus on his music career. He recently discussed his work on the new Black Country Communion album V, his time with the Dead Daisies, and other projects. However, the bitterness from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction remains a sore point.
Hughes’s candid remarks highlight the complex and often tumultuous relationships within Deep Purple. While the band’s music continues to resonate with fans worldwide, the personal dynamics between its members tell a different story. For Hughes, the experience has left a lasting impact, one that he seems ready to move on from, even if it means severing ties with his former bandmates for good.
