Ian Gillan

Greatly Appreciated

IAN GILLAN
 
 
Ian Gillan  (born 19 August 1945) is an English singer and songwriter.  He originally found commercial success as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple.  In addition to his main work — performing with Deep Purple and other bands during the 1970s and 1980s — he sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, performed in the charity supergroup Rock Aid Armenia, and engaged in a number of business investments and ventures, including a hotel, a motorcycle manufacturer, and music recording facilities at Kingsway Studios.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

Ian Gillan, the lead singer of Deep Purple sang the part of Jesus on the Jesus Christ Superstar album.  In addition to Gillan, the presence of rock session musicians like guitarists Neil Hubbard and Chris Spedding, bassist Alan Spenner and drummer Bruce Rowland gives the album more of a rock flavor than most of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s later work. 

 

(October 2014)

 

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Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first major show was the audacious Jesus Christ Superstar (1970); this rock opera actually did start out as an album, Jesus Christ Superstarwith Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan in the title role, while Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton musical went straight to the stage.
 
(September 2016)
 
Last edited: March 22, 2021