Query: Ian Gillan is a jazz singer.

Relevant passages:
Ian Gillan <=SEP=> Ian Gillan ( born 19 August 1945 ) is an English singer and songwriter . He originally found commercial success as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple .   Initially influenced by Elvis Presley , Gillan started and fronted several local bands in the mid-sixties , and eventually joined Episode Six when their original singer left . He first found widespread commercial success after joining Deep Purple in 1969 . After an almost non-stop workload , during which time he recorded six albums in four years , and problematic relationships with other band members , particularly guitarist Ritchie Blackmore , Gillan resigned from the band in June 1973 , having given a lengthy notice period to their managers .   After a short time away from the music business , he resumed his music career with solo bands the Ian Gillan Band and Gillan , before a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath . He rejoined a reformed Deep Purple in 1984 , but was fired in 1989 . He rejoined the band for a second time in 1992 for their twenty-fifth anniversary , and following the recruitment of guitarist Steve Morse in 1994 , has helped transform the group into a regular touring outfit , which he has fronted ever since .   In addition to his main work -- performing with Deep Purple and other bands during the 1970s and 1980s -- he sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber 's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar , performed in the charity supergroup Rock Aid Armenia , and engaged in a number of business investments and ventures , including a hotel , a motorcycle manufacturer , and music recording facilities at Kingsway Studios . More recently , he has performed solo concerts concurrently with his latter career in Deep Purple , and his work and affinity with Armenia , combined with his continued friendship with Tony Iommi since his brief time in Black Sabbath , has led him to form the supergroup WhoCares with Iommi . His solo career outside of Deep Purple was given a comprehensive overview with the Gillan 's Inn box set in 2006 .

Deep Purple <=SEP=> Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968 . The band is considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock , although their musical approach changed over the years . Originally formed as a progressive rock band , the band shifted to a heavier sound in 1970 . Deep Purple , together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath , have been referred to as the `` unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies '' . They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as `` the globe 's loudest band '' for a 1972 concert at London 's Rainbow Theatre , and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide .   Deep Purple have had several line-up changes and an eight-year hiatus ( 1976 -- 1984 ) . The 1968 -- 1976 line-ups are commonly labelled Mark I , II , III and IV . Their second and most commercially successful line-up consisted of Ian Gillan ( vocals ) , Jon Lord ( keyboards , backing vocals ) , Roger Glover ( bass ) , Ian Paice ( drums ) , and Ritchie Blackmore ( guitar ) . This line-up was active from 1969 to 1973 , and was revived from 1984 to 1989 , and again from 1992 to 1993 . The band achieved more modest success in the intervening periods between 1968 and 1969 with the line-up including Rod Evans ( lead vocals ) and Nick Simper ( bass , backing vocals ) , between 1974 and 1976 ( Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore in 1975 ) with the line-up including David Coverdale ( lead vocals ) and Glenn Hughes ( bass , vocals ) , and between 1989 and 1992 with the line-up including Joe Lynn Turner ( vocals ) . The band 's line-up ( currently including Ian Gillan , and guitarist Steve Morse from 1994 ) has been much more stable in recent years , although keyboardist Jon Lord 's retirement from the band in 2002 ( being succeeded by Don Airey ) left Ian Paice as the only original Deep Purple member still in the band .   Deep Purple were ranked number 22 on VH1 's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme and a poll on British radio station Planet Rock ranked them 5th among the `` most influential bands ever '' . The band received the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards . Deep Purple ( specifically Blackmore , Lord , Paice , Gillan , Glover , Evans , Coverdale and Hughes ) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 .