Ritchie Blackmore shares more about the health issues that forced him to cancel shows in late 2025

Legendary Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore recently spoke with Gary Graff of Guitar Player magazine about the health problems that caused Blackmore’s Night, the renaissance-inspired rock band he founded with his wife Candice Night, to cancel the final four dates of their six-date tour of the U.S. East Coast, as per Blabbermouth. Concerts in Newton, New Jersey; Wilmington, Delaware; Cohoes, New York; and Tarrytown, New York, were postponed “due to medical reasons” in November.

At the moment I’m taking a bit of a rest and seeing a lot of doctors about various ailments, I had a nasty vertigo attack on our last small tour that we did, and I had to cancel. Despite having heart and back problems, I have never had such a horrible experience as that vertigo attack on our tour. I don’t wish that on my worst enemy. It started off with a virus which apparently went to my ears and upset the balance of the small crystals in the ear canals. After this, I have come to the conclusion I hate traveling. I’ve hated it ever since I was a child and I used to travel with my mother when we went to Bristol and Bath, where my relatives were. Every time we would leave in the coach I would throw up over the passenger in front of us. For some strange reason they didn’t like that. I have hated traveling ever since. I now seem to have a phobia about being confined in a car or a van or anything that travels.

But will we ever see him perform again?

Since we live on Long Island [New York], I’m hoping we can put some shows together in small theaters where people can come and see us. That way, I wouldn’t have to travel more than an hour.