The singer Rod Evans was born on this day in 1947.
Evans was the first voice of Deep Purple, joining along with Maze bandmate Ian Paice. He brought his rich voice to the first three albums the group released, tinging them with the sound of the 60s.
His music career continued on past Purple, however, into the psychedelic band Captain Beyond.
After leaving Captain Beyond, Evans attended school and got a degree in medicine. He served as the director of respiratory therapy at a hospital in the United States. Evans briefly resurfaced as part of a “Deep Purple” act which featured only him and subpar backing musicians in 1980, but quickly faced lawsuits by the genuine Deep Purple. He has since remained out of the public eye.
I hope he’s celebrating the day with his nearest and dearest. Many happy returns, Mr. Evans!
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- Edit on 2021-01-19: Added information on Evans’ post-music life.