Joe Turner American rock singer Date of Birth: 02.08.1951 Country: USA

1. Biography of Joe Turner
2. Early Life and Musical Beginnings
3. Success with Fandango
4. Joining Rainbow and Deep Purple
5. Solo Career and Collaborations

Biography of Joe Turner

Joe Turner is an American rock singer known for his performances in various bands including Fandango, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen, Mother's Army, and HTP. He is currently involved in the project Over The Rainbow.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

In his childhood, Joe played the accordion and later developed an interest in R&B music. He started playing the guitar during his teenage years. During his time in college, Joe formed a band called Ezra, which performed their own songs as well as covers of artists like Jimi Hendrix, Free, and Deep Purple.

Success with Fandango

In 1976, Joe achieved his first major success with the band Fandango. The group played a blend of R&B, pop, country, jazz, and melodic rock. Joe sang and played guitar on all four albums of the band. Fandango toured with various artists including The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Beach Boys, and Billy Joel.

Joining Rainbow and Deep Purple

After the breakup of Fandango, Joe received a call from legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Rainbow. Impressed by Joe's audition, Blackmore immediately included him in Rainbow. Joe's contribution to the band's music, which some considered more pop-oriented, helped Rainbow gain popularity in the USA.

Joe recorded three studio albums with Rainbow: Difficult to Cure, Straight Between the Eyes, and Bent Out of Shape. In 1984, Rainbow disbanded, and Blackmore rejoined Deep Purple.

Solo Career and Collaborations

After leaving Rainbow, Joe released a solo album called Rescue You, produced by Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with Queen and The Cars. Most of the songs on the album were co-written by Joe and keyboardist Al Greenwood (formerly of Foreigner). The first single, "Endlessly," received radio and MTV airplay.

Joe then embarked on a tour with Pat Benatar and had a role in the film Blue Deville. In 1988, he joined Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force and recorded the successful album Odyssey. The tour in support of the album included a concert in Leningrad, which was recorded and released as Trial by Fire in 1989.

In 1989, Joe left Rising Force and joined his former bandmates Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover in Deep Purple, replacing Ian Gillan. With Deep Purple, Joe recorded the album Slaves & Masters, which had a different sound compared to the band's traditional style. Despite its fresh sound, the album received mixed reactions from Deep Purple fans.

After a successful tour, Joe was dismissed from Deep Purple due to audience dissatisfaction with his vocals. Despite this, Blackmore was unhappy with the decision. After leaving Deep Purple, Joe continued to work on his own projects, including the "Hughes Turner Project" with Glenn Hughes and the band Brazen Abbot led by Bulgarian guitarist Nikola Kotzev. He also participated in Nikola Kotzev's rock opera "Nostradamus."

In recent years, Joe has been part of the successful studio project Sunstorm and has worked with Japanese guitarist Akira Kajiyama on the album Fire Without Flame. He has also been a guest vocalist in the Voices Of Classic Rock Shows alongside Glenn Hughes.

In 2005, Joe contributed as a guest musician on the album "The Village Lanterne" by Blackmore's Night, performing the bonus track "Street Of Dreams," which was originally written by him and Blackmore during their time together in Rainbow.