GLENN HUGHES

Born on August 21, 1952 in Cannock, England Glenn Hughes left school at the tender age of sixteen to play in various local groups. One of them, an outfit called Finders Keepers, changed their name to Trapeze and went on to rise to world fame. The Band’s illustrious line-up (apart from Hughes, the band included Whitesnake guitarist-to-be Mel Galley, and drummer Dave Holland, who went on to join the Judas Priest camp at the end of the Seventies) brought out a total of three albums, with particularly You are the Music, We’re Just the Band (1972) causing a sensation. June 1973 saw the two Deep Purple members Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, leaving the band.

The strong-voiced musician followed the call of Deep Purple, turning down an offer by Electric Light Orchestra. Vocalist David Coverdale was enlisted simultaneously to replace Ian Gillan and Deep Purple reached another zenith of their creative power.

The Burn album is without doubt one of the best Purple releases of all time, and its successor Stormbringer was similarly impressive. Particularly the complementing combination of front man David Coverdale whose bluesy timbre suited the new tracks extremely well, and Glenn Hughes with his seemingly unlimited vocal range, turned out to be an unbeatable team. “David Coverdale is without a doubt a great shouter, but he couldn’t do the high passages, which is where I came in. As far as I’m concerned we were the perfect combination,” says Hughes.

Hughes also maneuvered Deep Purple into a more funky open direction and was probably one of the main reasons why guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left the group in 1975 to found Rainbow. Former James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin replaced Blackmore and they on to record the album Come Taste the Band (1975). Tragically, Bolin died of a heroin overdose in 1976, which meant the end of Deep Purple. “Tommy was my best friend he was like a brother to me,” recalls Hughes. “I had no idea he was using heroin. His death was the biggest shock of my life.”

The end of the band was the beginning of Hughes’ extensive travels through pretty much the whole hard n’ heavy scene. The list of bands, projects and solo albums by other artists in which he participated over the course of the next 25 years seems almost endless. From Black Sabbath’s Seventh Star (1986), to the KLF’s “America: What Time is Love” a US mega hit in which the KLF dubbed him “The Voice of Rock”.

His solo albums have also been hugely successful starting with funky rock on Play Me Out (1977) to the legendary rock release Hughes/Thrall with guitarist Pat Thrall in 1982 to his 1994 album Burning Japan Live. 1995 saw the more soulful Feel (1995), then Addiction (1996), to The Way It Is (1999) and Return of Crystal Karma (2000). His release in 2001 of Building The Machine had a special intensity thanks to its excursions into the spheres of funk and soul, and has received rave reviews.

In 2002, Glenn joined up with his good friend, Joe Lynn Turner, to form and record an incredible creative journey entitled HTP. Never before had the industry seen such a powerful pairing of two of the greatest singers in Rock and Roll. The fans agreed as the album and worldwide tour was met with unbridled enthusiasm. This success set the stage for the follow up album, HTP 2 and a few months later, a 3-month, 20 country tour!

In 2003 came his next solo release: Songs In the Key of Rock. This is a strong return to Glenn's rock and roll roots. The album features Glenn's signature vocals combined with a vintage, yet fresh approach capturing the essence of some of the great Rock and Roll classics.

2004 brought us Soulfully Live In The City Of Angels - a welcome summation of Glenn's progress during time and a permanent reminder of his considerable heritage. Available as a double audio CD and a single-disc DVD, it features his long-time guitarist JJ Marsh and keyboard player Ed Roth, drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers).

The year 2005 saw Glenn kick things off with the release of Soul Mover. Recorded as a trio, Glenn once again enlisted JJ Marsh and Chad Smith with a special guest appearance from Dave Navarro (ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers / Jane's Addiction).

2006 heralded the arrival of what must be, one of his finest releases to date, Music For The Divine, featuring two Red Hot Chili Peppers', Chad Smith and John Frusciante, along with his long-time writing partner and guitarist, JJ Marsh. This album is sure to mobilize the legions of fans worldwide waiting to hear from the "Voice of Rock", Glenn Hughes.