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Rod Evans





Rod Evans was born in England in January, 1947. He began his musical career in a band called The Maze, where he met drummer Ian Paice. When Paice was invited to play in guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's group The Roundabouts, he invited Evans to join him. After renaming themselves Deep Purple, the band recorded their first album, Shades of Deep Purple, in 1968. Their second album, The Book of Taliesyn, as well as their self-titled third album, followed in 1969. By that time, Blackmore and keyboardist Jon Lord had decided to take Purple in a different direction, which resulted in Evans' dismissal from the group, along with that of bassist Nick Simper. They were replaced by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, the singer and bassist (respectively) from British rockers Episode Six.

Evans' next appearance was with the American hard-rock supergroup Captain Beyond, formed in Los Angeles in 1972. Besides Evans, the band featured guitarist Larry Reinhart (known as "Rhino") and bassist Lee Dorman, both from heavy metal pioneers Iron Butterfly, as well as drummer Bobby Caldwell, who had worked with Johnny Winter. Captain Beyond recorded two albums - their self-titled debut in 1972, and Sufficiently Breathless in 1973 - before Evans departed.

Rod Evans then left the music business, and became the director of respiratory therapy at a Los Angeles hospital. He remained there until 1980, when an unscrupulous management company talked him into singing with a band of session musicians, and calling themselves Deep Purple. This fake band didn't last long, and Evans was sued by the management of the real Deep Purple, and forfeited his royalties from their first three albums.

Evans has stayed out of the spotlight since the bogus reunion. Some say he's again working at the same hospital, but nobody really knows for sure.



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