Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English rock guitarist who is an American resident, known for his work in Deep Purple. During his career Blackmore also fronted his own band, Rainbow. In the late 1990s he retired from hard rock for good, to start concentrating on the traditional folk rock project Blackmore's Night, which featured his wife Candice Night on vocals. In 2015, Blackmore returned to hard rock to reform Rainbow with a totally new lineup.