10 Musicians Who Left Major Bands

In the age when hard rock felt like second nature, Deep Purple were a band of professional musicians who came together as a collective. While the band created fantastic music, it was never an all-for-one attitude at every turn.

As the band stretched themselves on great rock feats like Machine Head, singer Ian Gillen found himself increasingly dissatisfied with his role in the band. The band finished up their insane touring schedule only to be rushed into the studio to complete their next record Who Do You Think We Are. Even though the band were in desperate need of a break, their management sent them right back on tour, leaving the friction between band members unresolved.

Gillen's relationship with guitarist Richie Blackmore was already on the rocks, but the tension reached a fever pitch shortly after the tour began. After the band wrapped up the Japanese leg of the tour, Gillen announced that he could no longer work with Blackmore and quit the band on the spot. Caught in the middle, bassist Roger Glover was let go shortly after Gillen's departure. Though the band went on to further success with the songwriting team of David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, the band's most identifiable voice would no longer be heard.