The two musicians Ritchie Blackmore considers his heroes: “Truly monumental”
When you’ve been a part of some of classic rock’s finest bands, then you have a right to have your nose in the air. Ritchie Blackmore, a member of both Deep Purple and Rainbow, has long earned his stripes in the heavy metal military. Armed with his machine gun guitar, Blackmore is more gifted than most with his weapon and has been emboldened by the acclaim it has accrued him. It’s meant that more often than not, people want to know Blackmore’s ranking of some of rock’s best bands, at least they think they do.
Instead, they usually receive the odd snort of derision and a quick turn on the spot, with Blackmore far more comfortable talking about music as an art rather than a competition — sharing his viewpoint rather than his verdict. He has, on a few occasions, shared his favourite guitarists and bands. However, one musician received some rare acclaim from Blackmore, labelling him his ultimate hero. The freewheelin’ troubadour Bob Dylan has left most rock stars in his wake over his six-decade-long career, and Blackmore couldn’t help but shower the noble Prize winner with praise.
Speaking during an epic interview about Bob Dylan, Blackmore opened up about his appreciation of his songwriting skill. Like so many of his age, he was utterly spellbound by Dylan’s unique new take on pop songs. He took the fragility of folk music and added it to the swinging charm of pop music to create a series of songs that inflamed the soul and garnered respect few have replicated since. Certainly, that was the case for Blackmore: “I would love to play with Bob Dylan. I mean it sounds kind of funny in a way, but he is the only person I admire in the business.”
Considering Blackmore is well aware of his own position in rock and roll, it is a big claim for him to suggest that Bob Dylan is the only person he’s met in the business that he admires. “I have been in the business for so long, he’s the one that I still feel remains mysterious,” the guitarist continued, “there is something about him that I think is truly monumental, and he is so creative. When you think on all the songs that he has written, you know, ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’, ‘Blowing In the Wind’, it’s endless. So I’m a big fan of his.”
In another interview in 2013, Blackmore may have revealed the moment he truly started to respect Bob Dylan: “Death is going to happen to most of us. Most, not all. Some of us might get away with it, which is what Bob Dylan said. Bob Dylan came up to me once and said: ‘Hey, who the hell are you?’ I admired him for that.”
Blackmore went one step further in 2019 and revealed that Dylan, alongside another songsmith, was his ultimate hero: “I’ve done more shows at the Budokan (Japan) than any person other than Bob Dylan. He is up and coming, my hero. I have two heroes over here (United States), one is Billy Joel, one is Bob Dylan”.
When thinking about the work of Blackmore and Billy Joel, it is difficult to find a throughline. Joel has been a crafter of pop perfection for decades, while Blackmore is an axe-wielding guitar magician who helped to craft heavy metal. But it goes to show just how powerful a songwriter Joel is. A superb songsmith who has never shied away from writing tremendous pop tracks, Joel’s reputation is usually desecrated by those who don’t understand his skill, but Blackmore clearly recognises talent.
While it would appear there is a case for the Piano Man to also stake a claim for the top spot, judging by the consistent appreciation Blackmore has shown, Bob Dylan remains the guitar icon’s most cherishable musician.
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