Candice Night opens up on husband Ritchie Blackmore’s health issues
Touring’s a challenge but Blackmore’s Night shows may be on the cards
Candice Night has spoken about the health issues faced by husband and bandmate Ritchie Blackmore, especially as they pertain to difficulties touring with Blackmore’s Night.
Night was talking to the Iron City Rocks podcast to promote her new solo album ‘Sea Glass’ when she was asked about the possibility of Blackmore’s Night live dates.
She said that the former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist had “three main issues”.
“He had a heart attack a couple of years ago, so we stay on top of that,” she explained.
“He's got gout, so that's difficult. It's affecting his feet really badly. And it's starting in his forefinger, so it's hurting the mobility in that, so he just had an injection for that. And his back, of course, which has always been an issue.”
Night added that flying put an extra strain on Blackmore’s back, while “jet lag stresses your heart”.
She said: “It really does take a toll on a human — on a healthy human, so forget about someone who's 80 years old and going through these issues.”
Watch: Blackmore's Night – ‘Under A Violet Moon’ (Homer, NY, 28th Oct 2023)
Night continued: “With Ritchie, if you try to pressure him to do something, he instantly says no. He's like a teenager…So I wait for him to come to the realisation, or I drop little seeds here and there and try to wait for him to be ready to talk about it.
“And he did just say, 'What about doing some Blackmore's Night dates in the fall?' So, of course, I got greatly excited about that.”
Night said that she would be contacting the agent but any UK dates seem unlikely as he “would rather do places that he can drive to”.
She added: “We don't have a tour bus and we don't have private planes. If we go someplace, I'm driving. So it's like a mini road trip…You get to the venue, you go back, you get a good night's sleep that night.”
Night concluded: “It's a very slowed down way of doing it. But honestly, I'd much rather take something than nothing at all."
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75) Pink Floyd – ‘Wish You Were Here’ (1975)
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74) Iron Maiden – ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ (1982)
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73) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Paradise City’ (1987)
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72) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Estranged’ (1991)
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71) Bon Jovi – ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ (1986)
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70) Iron Maiden – ‘Powerslave’ (1984)
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69) UFO – ‘Lights Out’ (1977)
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68) Neil Young – ‘Like a Hurricane’ (1977)
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67) Judas Priest – ‘Beyond The Realms of Death’ (1978)
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66) Free – ‘All Right Now’ (1970)
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65) Extreme – ‘Play With Me’(1989)
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64) AC/DC – ‘Back in Black’ (1981)
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63) UFO – ‘Love To Love’ (1977)
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62) Led Zeppelin – ‘Whole Lotta Love’ (1969)
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60) Stevie Ray Vaughn – ‘Little Wing’ (1984, released posthumously in 1991)
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59) Pearl Jam – ‘Alive’ (1991)
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58) Metallica – ‘Nothing Else Matters’ (1991)
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57) Fleetwood Mac – ‘The Chain’ (1977)
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56) Dragonforce – ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ (2005)
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55) Thin Lizzy – ‘Emerald’ (1976)
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54) Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’ (1985)
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53) Steve Vai – ‘For the Love of God’ (1990)
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52) Deep Purple – ‘Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming’ (1996)
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51) AC/DC – ‘Thunderstruck’ (1990)
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50) Rainbow – ‘Gates of Babylon’ (1977)
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49) Metallica – ‘The Unforgiven’ (1991)
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48) Rush – ‘La Villa Strangiato’ (1978)
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47) Pantera – ‘Cemetery Gates’ (1990)
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46) Pink Floyd – ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’ (1975)
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45) Dire Straits – ‘Telegraph Road’ (1982)
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43) Slash – ‘Anastasia’ (2012)
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40) Genesis – ‘Firth of Fifth’ (1973)
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39) Deep Purple – ‘Smoke on the Water’ (1972)
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38) AC/DC – ‘Let There Be Rock’ (1977)
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37) Megadeth – ‘Tornado of Souls’ (1990)
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36) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘No More Tears’ (1991)
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35) Metallica – ‘Fade To Black’ (1984)
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33) Joe Bonamassa – ‘India / Mountain Time’ (2008)
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32) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Crazy Train’ (1980)
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30) AC/DC – ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ (1977)
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29) Led Zeppelin – ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ (1970)
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28) Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’ (1974)
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27) Metallica – ‘One’ (1989)
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21) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Mr Crowley’ (1980)
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20) Derek & The Dominoes – ‘Layla’
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19) Gary Moore – ‘Still Got The Blues (For You)’ (1990)
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18) Prince - ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)
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17) Deep Purple – ‘Child in Time’ (1970)
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16) Bon Jovi – ‘Dry County’ (1992)
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15) The Jimi Hendrix Experience – ‘All Along The Watchtower’ (1967)
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14) Deep Purple – ‘Highway Star’ (1972)
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13) Gary Moore – ‘Parisienne Walkways’ (1979)
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12) UFO – ‘Rock Bottom’ (1974)
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11) Dire Straits – ‘Sultans of Swing’ (1978)
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10) Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975)
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9) Rainbow – ‘Stargazer’ (1976)
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8) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child ‘O Mine’ (1987)
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5) Eagles – ‘Hotel California’ (1976)
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