Glenn Hughes, the former bassist and lead singer of Deep Purple, chatted about his 50th anniversary of “Burn” tour.
Background on Glenn Hughes
Hughes is affectionately known as the “Voice of Rock.” He is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a member of Deep Purple, and the front-man for rock super group Black Country Communion.
“Working with Black Country Communion has been great,” he said. “I finished the vocals last week, and we are going to be mixing in the fall. The album will be out in the first part of next year. Joe Bonamassa is like family to me.”
2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
Hughes opened up about his 2016 induction into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “It was great. It was a great night, and it was nice for everybody involved. I’m glad the band got involved, it was a great moment for us all, especially to all be together in the same room. We are a family.”
Tour
He is out on the road touring as part of the 50th anniversary of Deep Purple’s “Burn” seminal album. Hughes is playing songs from “Burn,” as well as other classic Deep Purple hits. “The tour has been going really well. America is a very important market for me to play in. I am going to be doing this tour for the next 18 months,” he said.
“Then, in 2025, I will be playing my own music with my own band,” he revealed. “I want to go back playing Glenn Hughes solo music. I want to make new music as well, so I may record another album in another year.”
This will be a co-headlining tour with veteran guitar player Yngwie Malmsteen. “We co-headlining the shows and we have an opening band. Yngwie is a great musician and a good friend of mine,” Hughes said.
“I will continue this legacy tour before I go back to being Glenn Hughes again,” he acknowledged.
‘Burn’ album
The “Burn” album was written five decades ago, back in the summer of 1973, at Clearwell Castle in Gloucestershire, England. It was subsequently recorded in October of that year in Montreux, Switzerland. “We need to take into consideration that I may have been the last man to play these songs,” he said. “It’s my honor to give this legacy a great show.”
While it was extremely difficult for Hughes to select a personal favorite song from “Burn,” he listed “Mistreated” as the one that stands out to him the most. “They are all classic songs if you listen to the whole album but I really like singing ‘Mistreated.’ Everybody knows that I really enjoy singing that song,” he explained.
“It’s an honor to sing ‘Mistreated’ for the fans,” he added.
Hughes’ band of musicians
Hughes’ band consists of Soren Andersen on guitar, Ash Sheehan on the drums, and Ed Roth on the keyboards. “I have a great band playing these great songs,” he admitted.
The digital age
On being a rock artist in the digital age, Hughes said, “Everything changes in life, we need to accept that, we can’t live in the past. I am always one about moving forward. We’ve had some great times and some strange times in the past, but as we move forward, we need to embrace what is happening today.”
“AI is not my favorite thing,” he admitted. “Again, unfortunately, we have to embrace it because if we don’t, we will get tired away with it. AI is not good for actors or musicians in general because you can make everyone look and sound like everyone else. Unfortunately, it’s the future, and here it comes.”
Stage of his life
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, Hughes said, “Living in the Present.” “Living in this moment right now because it’s the only thing I have,” he said.
“I don’t carry anything from the past with me anymore. I’ve let a lot of things go in my life. I am living a great life and I have enough. I’ve been doing this a long time and I am one of the very few lucky ones to still have a beautiful life,” he elaborated.
“I have a great wife, a great family, good friends and a good band. I choose happiness. I don’t listen to that voice in my head that says that everything is wrong. I choose to life in the precious, loving moment, and I choose to live that way,” he said.
Advice for young and aspiring musicians
For young and aspiring musicians, Hughes said, “If you enjoy what you do in any walk of life, whether it’s the arts or anything you do or love, you have to live it, breathe it, see it, feel it and love it.”
“If you love something and you really want to establish yourself in some art form, you have to really love what you are doing and don’t listen to any voices. Enjoy the moment and be who you are,” he said.
Defining moments in his life
On his career-defining moments, he said, “There have been many moments, especially getting clean and sober. For me, it all changed when I changed my lifestyle, and I got well and let go everything from the past that way getting in the way of conscious living. I’m a very spiritual man, I don’t think of anything as bad anymore, and I live in the present moment.”
“Happiness is a key factor to that, and music is the healer and love is the only answer,” he added.
The Paramount on Long Island
On Wednesday, August 23rd, they will be performing at The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island, New York. “I love that venue, it’s a great venue,” he exclaimed. “I love playing on Long Island, I have a long history there, it is going to be a great night for me.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Hughes said, “Success is still being here, breathing on my own on the right side of the grass. That’s a successful day. I like to live in the garden and outside, I’m an outdoorsman.”
“Success, to me, means having the ability to live free, and I live this precious life,” he concluded.
To learn more about rocker Glenn Hughes, check out his official website, and follow him on Instagram.
