Roger Glover, who plays bass for Deep Purple, entered the world on November 30, 1945, in Brecon, South Wales, where local ensembles performing at his family’s pub provided his initial grounding in music. In the opening years of the 1960s he assembled the Madisons, a well-regarded ensemble from the region that later absorbed the Lightnings, another Brecon outfit; by the close of 1963 the combined unit had adopted the name Episode Six. Roughly eighteen months afterward, singer Andy Ross departed, allowing Ian Gillan to step in as lead vocalist; under that configuration Episode Six released its first single, “Put Yourself in My Place,” during the first half of 1966. Additional 45s appeared in quick succession, their initial pop orientation gradually shifting toward psychedelic and progressive textures, yet none achieved significant sales, prompting the band’s breakup in the early months of 1969.
Glover and Gillan subsequently joined forces inside Deep Purple, making their recorded bow on the album Deep Purple in Rock. Gillan’s commanding voice and the band’s thunderous stage presence quickly elevated Deep Purple to global prominence, a status underscored when Machine Head reached the upper reaches of the American album chart in 1972, propelled by the enduring AOR track “Smoke on the Water.” Tensions between Glover and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore nonetheless prompted the bassist’s exit midway through 1973; alongside Gillan he spent time co-writing and producing while also helming sessions for other hard-rock outfits such as Judas Priest, Nazareth, and Elf, and in 1974 he supplied the score for the animated film The Butterfly Ball.
His debut solo outing, Elements, surfaced in spring 1978, and later the same year he rejoined Blackmore inside Rainbow. After issuing the solo album The Mask in 1983, Glover participated in the reconstituted Deep Purple’s return with Perfect Strangers. Once The House of Blue Light appeared in 1987, both Glover and Gillan stepped away once more, collaborating on the joint release Accidentally on Purpose. Glover’s absence proved short-lived; he rejoined Deep Purple for the 1990 album Slaves and Masters, after which Gillan resumed his place a few years later on The Battle Rages On, the final recording to feature the classic 1970s roster. Snapshot, another solo collection, arrived in 2002, and Glover has remained active on tour and in the studio with the present-day incarnation of Deep Purple.
