Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan has shared in a new interview that he only has 30 per cent of his vision left, but promised that he won’t retire until he loses his energy: “I don’t want to be an embarrassment to anyone”.
Ian Gillan, the legendary vocalist for Deep Purple, has revealed in a new interview with Uncut Magazine that he’s losing his eyesight. Reflecting on his growing age, the singer would also admit that retirement is “not far off”.
The ‘Smoke On The Water’ singer, aged 80, finished a UK tour with Deep Purple in 2024 and is set to play multiple one-off shows in Tbilisi, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. The band is also set to head out on a European tour in June 2026, but as the singer would reveal in his interview, he’s not too sure how much longer he’ll be able to work with the band.
“It’s one of those things. I’ve only got 30 per cent vision,” he said (via Music News). “That won’t get better. It makes life mysterious. The hardest thing is working on my laptop. I can’t see anything on the screen unless I use my peripheral vision – I pick up a line by looking at it sideways. But you find a way. You adapt.”
He continued: “It’s hilarious this growing old thing. It’s a laugh a minute. Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no. I walk down the road and hear something drop off – clang, there’s something else gone. Nothing’s changed really apart from I can’t pole vault any more. Other than that, things move a little more slowly. But nothing’s changed.”
When asked about the future, Gillan replied: “I think if I lose my energy I’m going to stop. I don’t want to be an embarrassment to anyone. We’re not far off that. It creeps up on you – you don’t really notice.”
Gillan would mention his retirement just days after David Coverdale, who replaced Gillan as the Deep Purple lead singer from 1973 to 1976, announced his very own retirement. The 74-year-old singer, who was also the frontman for rock group Whitesnake, would thank “everyone who’s assisted and supported me on this incredible journey”, but said: “It really is time for me to just enjoy my retirement.”
