Glenn Hughes reveals how David Bowie helped save Deep Purple

Glenn Hughes has revealed details about how his close friendship with David Bowie saved Deep Purple.

After lynchpin and co-founder Ritchie Blackmore quit the group for the first time in 1975, the Mark III incarnation of Deep Purple were on the ropes and Hughes freely admits he and keyboardist Jon Lord were ready to call it quits.

However, it was Bowie who convinced and personally escorted Hughes to check out new guitarist Tommy Bolin with David Coverdale. Deep Purple Mark IV went on to release tenth album ‘Come Taste the Band’ in October ’75.

“When Ritchie left the band, I gotta be honest with you, I wanted to go back to Trapeze and reform the band,” Hughes revealed to Ultimate Classic Rock.

“Bowie was in my house, and he said, ‘You should go get a new guitar player who sounds way different to Ritchie, and maybe looks different.’ He kind of convinced me.

“I think Jon and I were going to throw the towel in, you know? But then David Bowie drove me down in his Mercedes to audition Tommy. So Bowie had a lot to do with me going down there that day.

“And I fell in love with Tommy the moment I saw him, you know? I knew before he switched his f***ing amp on that he was going to kick my ass.”

Heaping praise on his roommate, Glenn added: “(Bowie) lived with me when he was making Station to Station. He was always telling me, ‘Keep f***ing changing. Never stay the same. Never. Stay. The same.’

“Throw those leather pants away! Throw those boots away. Let me cut your f***ing hair! He was all about forever changing, and I’ve always done that, really. Some people don’t get it, and some people do.”

Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Rod Evans, Glenn Hughes, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and the late Jon Lord will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn on Friday (8th April).

Ritchie Blackmore won’t be attending the ceremony after he was allegedly prohibited from appearing with the band.

A post on his official Facebook page in February read: “Ritchie was honoured by the offer of induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was discussing the possibility of attending, until we received correspondence from the President of the Rock Hall of Fame, who said that Bruce Payne, management for the current Deep Purple Touring Band, had said "No"..........!!!!!"

“Therefore Ritchie will not be attending the ceremony. He sincerely thanks all the fans that voted for him for their support.”