Ian Gillan in Folkestone

Ian Gillan is an English rock singer, born in London in 1945 and best known as the lead vocalist of Deep Purple. His recordings with the band include “Smoke on the Water,” “Highway Star” and “Child in Time,” as well as the albums In Rock and Machine Head. He also sang the title role on the original concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar, fronted Gillan and recorded Born Again with Black Sabbath. The band’s 1972 concerts in Osaka and Tokyo produced the live album Made in Japan. After rejoining the group in 1984, he toured behind Perfect Strangers and performed at Knebworth in 1985; decades later, he took part in The Long Goodbye Tour, which began in 2017 and extended across several years. His festival appearances with the band have included Wacken Open Air in Germany and Hellfest in France.