Deep Purple formed in London, England in the late 1960s, ultimately influencing future generations of hard rock and metal via classics like "Smoke On The Water," "Hush," "Burrn," and "Highway Star." While still together as of early 2025, former members of Deep Purple went on to found other successful groups, including Rainbow, Whitesnake, and Gillan. The aforementioned Rainbow was started by Ritchie Blackmore, who is believed to currently reside in Mount Sinai on Long Island. Prior to that, Ritchie Blackmore and wife Candice Night is believed to have lived in the Lloyd Neck area of the Island, while Blackmore has also been known to live in Huntington; a Newsday article published in 2021 referenced Night as having studied at the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, worked at Bennigan’s in Commack and interned at WBAB.
A Deep Purple show performed at the Nassau Coliseum from 1974 can be heard here.
Here is a link to some of the resources your local library in Nassau County can get you from Blackmore and Deep Purple.
Examples of posters for then-upcoming Deep Purple performances on Long Island:
Sources:
https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/blackmores-night-ritchie-blackmore-candice-night-b88492
https://www.instagram.com/therealritchieblackmore/p/CgN2jeGucTa/?hl=en
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 19, 2025.