10 Greatest Secret Weapons In Rock And Roll
4. Glenn Hughes - Deep Purple
Whenever you're talking to a Deep Purple fan, you more than likely have to nail down which iteration of Purple they have the most affection towards. For all of the hearts that were won on the strength of songs like Smoke on the Water and Woman From Tokyo, many people forget that that was only the first of what would be many lineup changes throughout the years. Though the Coverdale era certainly had its fans, the future Whitesnake king had a run for his money in Glenn Hughes.
Dubbed the Voice of Rock by his fans, Hughes has been known as the true journeyman throughout rock history, having brief stints with the funk rock progenitors Trapeze before even deciding to join Purple. Despite being one of the more nefarious drug addicts of the '70s, Hughes' voice never really failed him, reaching for high notes that many of us would need helium to reach on songs like Burn.
Outside of Purple, Hughes has kept active in any band that will have him, going from subbing for Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio in Black Sabbath to having one of the grittiest blues band of the modern age in the 2010's with Black Country Communion. Even as he's pushing into his '70s these days, the many lifetimes Hughes has weathered hasn't shown in the purity of his voice.