Ritchie Blackmore has offered an official statement explaining the medical issues that forced him to cancel his most recent tour.
The guitar legend’s current group Blackmore’s Night, which trades the electric guitar rock of his former bands Deep Purple and Rainbow for medieval-themed folk music, only played two of the tour’s six scheduled dates – Nov. 9 in Alexandria, Virginia and Nov. 13 in Lititz, Pennsylvania – before calling off the trip due to unspecified medical issues.
In a post on his official Facebook page which you can read in full below, Blackmore explains that he battled “severe vertigo” for days after staying at a loud, unheated hotel room with damp sheets.
Earlier this year Blackmore’s wife and bandmate Candice Night revealed that his career had been put on hold after Blackmore suffered a heart attack in 2023, and that he had been advised not to travel via airplane by his doctors.
“When one tours, you have a lot of people who have to be healthy,” Blackmore concludes in his statement. “Unfortunately, I was the one who got hit this time. Hope to see you all one day again when I’m healthy.”
Ritchie Blackmore With Deep Purple
Jorgen Angel, Getty Images
Read More: Deep Purple Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide
Read Ritchie Blackmore’s Official Statement About His 2025 Tour Cancellation
“Ritchie would like to explain his reason for having to postpone the recent shows. “Very quick history, for those who have nothing better to do: I have a long history of lumbar and neck herniated discs. Consequently, I would have back injections before a tour to help me over the pain. Recently, I have acquired debilitating migraines. They come and go very quickly. When I see the visual disturbance of these ocular migraines, I know they are coming.
When we did the long drive from Pennsylvania to Newton NJ we were booked into a hotel that had a wedding party going all night in the corridors. There was no heat in the room and the sheets were still damp. Which I assume culminated in me having a severe migraine attack. I couldn’t stop vomiting. The room wouldn’t stop spinning and I was extremely dizzy to the point of not being able to stand. Ambulance was called.
I was taken to hospital and they gave me CAT scans and other tests. They were very gracious. The doctors came to the conclusion that my official diagnosis was severe vertigo. The results of this went on for days on end. I am now following up how serious these migraines are with various doctors. When one tours, you have a lot of people who have to be healthy.
Unfortunately, I was the one who got hit this time. Hope to see you all one day again when I’m healthy. All the best, Ritchie, a guitarist.”
Deep Purple Albums Ranked
Their storied career spans over half a century, with more than 20 studio albums – in addition to many live and best-of sets.
Gallery Credit: Eduardo Rivadavia
