Rod Evans

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For other people named Rod Evans, see Rod Evans (disambiguation).

Rod Evans
Evans with Deep Purple in 1968
Evans with Deep Purple in 1968
Background information
Birth nameRoderic Evans
Born (1947-01-19) 19 January 1947 (age 74)
OriginEton, Buckinghamshire, England
GenresPsychedelic rock, progressive rock, hard rock
Occupation(s)Singer, model, physician
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1966–1973, 1980
Associated actsDeep Purple, Captain Beyond, The Maze, The Horizons, Bogus Deep Purple

Roderic Evans (born 19 January 1947) is an English former singer. In the late 1960s he began his professional career in The Maze, formerly MI5, after which he was a member of the original Deep Purple line-up who produced three studio albums with a more progressive and pop-driven sound. After recording a solo single, he was a member of the original Captain Beyond line-up, who produced two studio albums. After a legal struggle with Deep Purple in 1980, Evans turned reclusive and disappeared from public life.

Early career[]

Evans was born in Eton, Buckinghamshire.[1][2] He played together with drummer Ian Paice in The Maze, formerly MI5. He was also in a band called The Horizons in the mid 1960s. Reports state that Evans also worked as a male model around this time. He was tall and had good posture.

Deep Purple[]

Evans and Paice were original members of Deep Purple when they formed in Hertfordshire in 1968.[3] According to Deep Purple's original bassist Nick Simper, Evans was hired after "dozens" of other singers were auditioned. Simper said that Evans clinched his place in the band after sharing an idea to rearrange the Beatles' song "Help!" as a ballad. This version of "Help!" was subsequently recorded for Deep Purple's debut album Shades of Deep Purple, but the most recognised song recorded with Evans singing is "Hush". A cover of a Joe South composition, "Hush" reached No. 4 on the US Billboard charts in October 1968. Deep Purple recorded only one other US Top 40 hit with Evans on vocals, that being a cover of Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman" which appeared on the band's second album and peaked at No. 38.[4]

After recording three studio albums and one non-album single ("Emaretta") with Deep Purple, Evans was dismissed in the summer of 1969 while on tour in the U.S.[3] It was decided by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice, and Jon Lord that Rod Evans' pop vocal style would not be suitable for the heavier hard rock sound the band wanted to achieve and move toward.[5] Another factor in Evans' departure from Deep Purple was his desire to move to the United States.[6]

Captain Beyond[]

In 1971, Evans recorded a solo single for Capitol,[7] titled "Hard To Be Without You" (b/w "You Can't Love A Child Like A Woman"), then went on to form Captain Beyond, along with former Johnny Winter drummer Bobby Caldwell, former Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman and guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt, who also was part of the last incarnation of Iron Butterfly.

Evans left Captain Beyond and the music business after two albums. He then became a director of respiratory therapy at a western American hospital until 1980.[8]

Deep Purple controversy and lawsuit[]

Main article: Bogus Deep Purple

In 1980, Evans was approached by a management company which specialised in questionably-reformed bands with well-known names, and he began to tour under the Deep Purple name accompanied by former members of Steppenwolf and unknown session musicians. The "bogus Deep Purple" line-up was Rod Evans (vocals), Tony Flynn (guitar), Tom de Rivera (bass), Geoff Emery (keyboards), and Dick Jurgens III (drums), the son of famous big band leader Dick Jurgens.[9]

After several shows ended in near riots,[10] Evans was successfully sued by the management of the genuine Deep Purple for damages of $672,012.44 (USD) (US$2,110,760 in 2020 dollars[11]), which included $168,003.11 in actual damages (US$527,690 in 2020 dollars[11]) and $504,009.33 (US$1,583,070 in 2020 dollars[11]) in punitive damages. Further to this, Evans, his bandmates Flynn, Emery and Jurgens, and their promoter were also ordered to pay $143,973.52 (US$452,214 in 2020 dollars[11]) in legal fees.

As a result of the lawsuit, Evans no longer receives royalties from the band's first three albums.

Later life[]

He has not appeared publicly since the court case and his current whereabouts are of considerable interest to fans of early Deep Purple.[10] In 2015, Ian Paice said, "If anyone knows where Rod is or even if he is still on the planet, that would be good news. We haven't had contact with him since the late 1970s. Nobody seems to know where the hell he is, or even if he is still alive. Not a clue."[12]

In a 2015 interview, Captain Beyond drummer Bobby Caldwell mentioned that he was in touch with Evans and that Evans is "just doing fine these days" and had gone back to working in respiratory therapy for a long time.[13]

On 8 April 2016, Evans was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Deep Purple, but did not attend the ceremony.

Discography[]

Solo[]

  • It's Hard To Be Without You / You Can't Love A Child Like A Woman (1971), Single, Promo only

with Deep Purple[]

Studio Albums
  • Shades of Deep Purple (1968), US#24
  • The Book of Taliesyn (1968), US#54
  • Deep Purple (1969), US#162
Live albums
Compilations
Singles
DVDs

with Captain Beyond[]

Studio albums
Live Albums

References[]

  1. ^ "Find My Past". Search.findmypast.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Anthem - BMI Work #12721182". Repertoire.bmi.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Music - 7 Ages of Rock - Deep Purple". BBC. 19 October 2004. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  4. ^ Deep Purple - Kentucky Woman - Song Review by Joe Viglione Retrieved July 11, 2019
  5. ^ Joel Whitburn (2007). "The Billboard Albums: Includes Every Album That Made the Billboard 200 Chart". Record Research Inc. p. 227.
  6. ^ Steve Rosen Interview with Ritchie Blackmore, 1974 on YouTube Retrieved "Ritchie Blackmore, Guitar God|Part 1/5" on 14 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Rod Evans. Captain Beyond History". Deep-purple.net. 30 April 1972. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Bogus Deep Purple in Sounds 80". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Bogus Deep Purple". Thehighwaystar.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Captain Beyond: Band Member Info on ROD EVANS". Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c d 1634 to 1699: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy ofthe United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700-1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How much is that in real money?: a historical price index for use as a deflator of money values in the economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  12. ^ Will Ritchie Blackmore Attend Deep Purple’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction? - 93XRT. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  13. ^ Blowin’ Wind with Captain Beyond’s Bobby Caldwell - The Great Southern Brain Fart. Retrieved 30-Jan-2016.

External links[]

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