Happy 80th Birthday Ritchie Blackmore!
Celebrating the founding member and lead guitarist of Deep Purple… Thank You Ritchie!
Richard Hugh Blackmore was born on April 14, 1945 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England
Smoke on the Water!
Ritchie Blackmore.
Source: guitar.com; Image: Fin Costello / Redferns
“‘99.7 KY’ would continue on for another decade, helping create even more memories for me and many others. On June 3, 2007 (‘Smoke Sunday’), 1,721 guitar players (myself included) took part in a Guinness world record rendition of Deep Purple's ‘Smoke on the Water’ at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The previous record for largest guitar ensemble had been 1,323. Tanna Guthrie, a morning show host for 99.7 KY, came up with the idea for the record attempt. Tanna said she chose "Smoke on the Water” because it's one of the first songs many guitarists learn.”
- Woodard, Anthony. “Remembering Kansas City’s KY-102…”. Jul. 1, 2024
Courtesy of Anthony Woodard