Quotes from Ian Gillan

The thing about a band is, it's not so much how good the musicians are - it's the blend of personalities and characters. It's the human chemistry that makes up a good team.

I haven't ever had any ambition in my life. I just drift from day to day with a stupid grin on my face.

We have been called old rockers, rock pensioners, and dinosaurs.

My father was a storekeeper at a factory in west London.

Elvis's voice was unique. Like so many others, he had natural, technical ability, but there was something in the humanity of his voice, and his delivery.

I know in my heart of hearts that Ritchie Blackmore is one of the great guitar players of all time. He's a fabulous technician, and he's got incredible skills, and he was a great showman.

It's a fine line between self-assuredness and arrogance.

I've consciously avoided actually reading anything about Wikipedia.

I have heard that my Wikipedia entry is completely incorrect, but then again, so is everyone else's. I haven't bothered about that.

It wasn't slung together by a producer and a publisher. We decided we were going to take hold of our music and let it evolve organically.

The people who come to Purple shows are there for the music.

I know the guys in Metallica. I'm very honored that they were influenced by Deep Purple when they started, and they've always been very kind to us.

I've never listened to any of Purple Mk III's records.

I don't think anyone likes to be pushed around.

The band's a really close-knit family. We've got fantastically good friendships and relationships that have developed after all these years.

I think you function much better when you trust people and when you've got a sort of relationship where you can develop ideas within a framework.

I love Buffalo. The people here are wonderful, genuine; they look you straight in the eye.

We were the first generation of rock & roll, but life goes on.

I've done a lot of research on science and theology to try and get a better understanding of what happens to the human soul or what potential it has.

My first contract was in 1965. There were six of us in this band - my band before Deep Purple - six in the band plus management, and the entire royalty rate was three-fourths of 1 percent.

The biggest income we make is from live performances, without any doubt. That's about a 4-to-1 ratio from anything else.

I realised that if I wanted to carry on with my musical dreams, I had to change, so I started meditating, and I changed my life entirely.

Glenn Hughes is one of the most naturally talented musicians, but he's still copying Steve Wonder to this day, so I can't call him a bona fide member of Deep Purple.

I grew up moving from one council flat to another and finished up in a three-bedroom semi-detached on a council estate in Cranford, a suburb of Hounslow. This was in the days when there was still rationing, and we had to be thrifty.