IAN GILLAN has proven himself as one of the most powerful and charismatic rock vocalists over a career which has seen heady fame with DEEP PURPLE, solo success and a seemingly tireless work ethic. The singer was born at Chiswick Maternity Hospital in Hounslow, London on August 19th 1945. Gillan's first teenage act, THE MOONSHINERS, proved a valuable stepping stone to a more professional outfit that shared the same rehearsal room: RONNIE AND THE HI-TONES.

Upon Gillan's arrival the band adopted a new title of JESS THUNDER AND THE JAVELINS. This act gave Gillan touring experience over two years before he departed to join the more lucrative EPISODE SIX, an established outfit with a recording contract. Amongst EPISODE SIX's ranks was bassist Roger Glover and both he and Gillan would later join DEEP PURPLE and form a solid part of that band's 'Mark II' line-up. DEEP PURPLE, Spearheaded by IAN GILLAN's quite unique vocal presence, RITCHIE BLACKMORE's pioneering guitar wizardry and JON LORD's magnificent Hammond organ flurries, DEEP PURPLE would launch itself to major international acclaim and status. As such, the singer fronted up some of the landmark Hard Rock songs such as the seminal 'Smoke On The Water', 'Black Night', 'Woman From Tokyo', 'Highway Star', 'Space Truckin', 'Strange Kind Of Woman' and 'Child In Time'.

Following promotional work for DEEP PURPLE's poorly received 'House Of Blue Light' album Gillan returned to the UK to form an interim live band, at first with the intention of keeping his hand in. GARTH ROCKETT AND THE MOONSHINERS, formulated in February 1989 and named in honour of one of Gillan's earliest 1962 formative acts, featured three members of EXPORT, guitarists Steve Morris and Harry Shaw plus drummer Lou Rosenthal, alongside the NUTZ, RAGE and DEMON credited Keith Mulholland on bass and keyboard player Mark Buckle.

This unit debuted with a low key concert held on 18th February 1989 at Southport Floral Hall. Further concerts followed before Gillan was unceremoniously dismissed from the ranks of DEEP PURPLE that May. GARTH ROCKETT AND THE MOONSHINERS briefly became a priority for the frontman and a 16th May 1989 concert at The Ritz in Manchester was filmed for issue as a live VHS video.The set included GILLAN / GLOVER material and GILLAN songs. The final appearance of the band came in July with a Liverpool concert in July staged to raise funds for the Hillsborough football disaster.

The group disbanded shortly afterwards and Gillan forged a fresh solo band in May 1990, taking Steve Morris, and briefly Mark Buckle, into this new formation. Replaced in DEEP PURPLE by ex-RAINBOW vocalist JOE LYNN TURNER, Gillan stayed busy, quickly road testing a new band with a series of massive gigs in Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Brazil. This period of transition saw Gillan gain a new record deal with East/West Records and amongst the musicians that contributed to the 'Naked Thunder' album were erstwhile GILLAN bassist John Gustafson and noted session drummer Simon Phillips.

'Naked Thunder' was well received and the band set off on a world tour. The live band comprising of Gillan, Morris, the ex-SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND and MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP rhythm section of bassist Chris Glen and drummer Ted McKenna plus two backing singers in Dave Lloyd, previously frontman for RAGE, and Michael Donahue. The group debute live in Russia on 15th May 1990 prior to a run of Brazilian concerts. 'Naked Thunder' saw release in July, reaching no. 63 on the UK charts despite positive reviews.

For the next effort the brand was truncated to simply GILLAN once again. It was intended for BLACK SABBATH's rhythm section of bassist Neil Murray and drummer COZY POWELL to play on the ensuing 'Toolbox' album. In the nick of time permanent members were recruited in the form of ex-Y&T drummer Leonard Haze and former SNAIL, LE MANS and STARSHIP bassist Brett Bloomfield. MOUNTAIN guitarist LESLIE WEST also played on the album in a guest capacity. An almost customary world tour ensued, billed as REPO DEPO, which saw Morris ousted due to his perceived lack of stage persona and in came ex-T'PAU guitarist Dean Howard. Concerts included firsts in Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuala.

By early 1991 guitarist Dave Sharman was demoing with the band but quit within a few weeks complaining that the material was taking a less guitar orientated direction. And, in a novel twist, Gillan reunited with his first ever 1962 band, pre EPISODE SIX, titled THE JAVELINS to record an album of Rock classics. In August 1992 Gillan rejoined DEEP PURPLE.

During 1995 Gillan was back in the studio demoing with former MALICE bassist Mark Behn and ex BLACK N' BLUE drummer Pete Holmes. Nothing came of this union and the rhythm section stuck together to create MONSTER.

Colluding with Morris once again Gillan issued a further solo album, the laid back folksy 'Dreamcatcher', in 1997 on his own Caramba label. Some of the material included comprised of REPO DEPO songs that had never made it to the studio previously as well as an ELVIS PRESLEY cover in the shape of 'Anyway You Want Me'.

Throughout the 90s a whole slew of IAN GILLAN BAND, GILLAN and IAN GILLAN archive releases have been issued to appease fans. In 2005 a documentary film was launched to celebrate Gillan's four decades of Rock n' Roll, the movie including contributions from the likes of TONY IOMMI, JOE SATRIANI, Ronnie James Dio, Sir Tim Rice, Luciano Pavarotti, DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott and JON LORD. The singer would also find himself in another on screen project, as part of the 'Rock School' documentary chronicling the pioneering work of Paul Green's School Of Rock Music in Philadelphia. Gillan fronted up a version of DEEP PURPLE's 'Highway Star' backed by musicians from the school.

Working with producer Nick Blagona, the singer travelled to Toronto to cut an album during February to coincide, this featuring re-works of tracks from THE JAVELINS, EPISODE SIX, DEEP PURPLE, GILLAN and BLACK SABBATH. The core backing band comprised ANIMAL PLANET guitarist Michael Lee Jackson, Rodney Appleby on bass and Howard Fleetwood Wilson on drums. Contributors would be set to include BLACK SABBATH guitarist TONY IOMMI alongside Ian Paice and ROGER GLOVER, on a re-make of BLACK SABBATH's 'Trashed' from 1983's 'Born Again' album, DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott, IRON MAIDEN's Janick Gers, ULI JON ROTH, featuring on the tracks 'Day Late And A Dollar Short' and 'Loving On Borrowed Time', fifties crooner Cliff Bennett, JEFF HEALEY and former DEEP PURPLE organist JON LORD.

Gillan appeared at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall on 31st March 2006. The show, backed by the SCORPIONS, JUDAS PRIEST and BONED, was held in tribute to the late Radio One DJ Tommy Vance, host of 'The Friday Rock Show' and to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust. Gillan's band for the ocassion comprised DEEP PURPLE colleague ROGER GLOVER on bass, Steve Morris on guitar and Harry James from THUNDER and MAGNUM on the drums.

IAN GILLAN set out on a US tour in August to promote 'Gillan's Inn'. His band comprised guitarists Dean Howard, ex-BLACK ALICE and BAD COMPANY, and Michael Lee Jackson, bassist Rodney Appleby, keyboard player Joe Mennonna with Randy Cooke, of the KIM MITCHELL band and THE FOUR HORSEMEN, on drums. On September 11th METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich joined Gillan onstage for 'Smoke On The Water' at Slim's in San Francisco. A major seback hit the band on November 25th when Rodney Appleby was shot in the jaw. His neighbour, Theodis Johnson, was charged with attempted murder, criminal use of a weapon and criminal possession of a weapon.

Gillan was set to tour Australia in January 2007 but cancelled these shows in the wake of Appleby's injuries. The following month Immergent Records released a "tour edition" of 'Gillan's Inn', adding DVD footage from Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, New York Concert Hall and Pabst Theater, Milwaukee shows from the recent tour.

Gillan sang lead vocals on a track called 'Have Love, Will Travel' on the solo album from his manager Michael Lee Jackson, entitled 'In a Heartbeat.

An official career spanning, six hour autobiographical DVD, 'Highway Star - A Journey in Rock' featured interviews with the likes of ROGER GLOVER, JON LORD, Colin Towns, Ian Paice, Don Airey, STEVE MORSE, Claude Nobs, TONY IOMMI, Luciano Pavarotti, Sir Tim Rice, Bruce Payne, Phil Banfield, Bron and Grace Gillan, Gillan's mother Audrey Parkinson, footballer George Best, Ronnie James Dio, JOE SATRIANI and DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott. Also included was unique concert footage from DEEP PURPLE shows in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Cardiff and Plymouth during 2004 plus London Astoria 2006.

'One Eye To Morocco', the first studio album comprising all all-new material in 10 years from Ian Gillan, was released on 31st March 2009 through Eagle Records. Musicians included guitarist Michael Lee Jackson, bass player Rodney Appleby, drummer Howard Wilson, saxophonist Joe Menonna, Hammond organ player Lance Anderson plus Jesse O'Brien on Keyboards.