Glenn Hughes describes Deep Purple’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction as ‘incredibly awkward’

Glenn Hughes Reflects on Hall of Fame Experience

Glenn Hughes has shared his thoughts on attending the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony for his former band Deep Purple, describing the experience as “fucking uncomfortable.”

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Emotional Moments and Discomfort

During an in-person Q&A event in Sydney, Australia, on October 3, Hughes talked about receiving the award with Deep Purple, of which he was the bassist and vocalist from 1973 to 1976, alongside lead vocalist David Coverdale, who later founded Whitesnake.

The duo was featured on the albums Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974), and Come Taste The Band (1976).

Hughes attended the ceremony with Coverdale, where they accepted the award alongside current band members Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, and Ian Pace. In a fan Q&A, Hughes expressed that he felt coldly received by the other attendees at the event.

“There was no question of, ‘How are you doing tonight?’ Nothing like that,” he stated. “There was no family atmosphere, no hugs, no handshakes, no ‘How are you, mate?’ None of this. And it was damn inconvenient. Let me tell you, it was uncomfortable.”

Hughes shared that at the end of the event, he wanted to hug Gillan to congratulate him, but Gillan opted to extend his hand “because he didn’t want me to come near him.” Hughes revealed that this interaction “really upset me to the point of tears.”

“So I grabbed him… and told him, ‘Oh crap.’ I can’t tell you what I said, but I thought it was damn stupid to do it on live television where you have to show outrage or whatever you want to call it. I was very upset.”

“It didn’t make me angry. This really hurt my feelings. Why did he do this? I don’t know.”

Hughes continued: “I’ve had a lot of cheesy and weird things happen to me. I wasn’t the nicest guy when I was drunk. But to do this to a family member while I was thanking and congratulating him on his award… He didn’t want to know, he didn’t want to fucking know. It was very rude.”

Watch the group accept the award below – Hughes’ speech begins at 07:45.

Controversies Surrounding Deep Purple’s Induction

Apart from Hughes’ emotions about the evening, Deep Purple’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was not without its controversies. Ritchie Blackmore, the band’s former guitarist and co-founder, did not attend the ceremony because he claimed in a Facebook post that he was banned from attending by the band’s manager, Bruce Payne.

In response to the allegations, Chatterbox, Gillan explained that it was a “difficult decision” based on the requirements for inductees to perform at the event.

He explained that the band’s then-guitarist Steve Morse and current keyboardist Don Airey were ineligible for the performance due to their late inclusion in the band.

Consequently, the band made the decision to include only long-serving current band members in the performance as a “sign of respect for Steve and Don,” Gillan clarified, while inviting former members such as Hughes, Coverdale, and Blackmore to participate in the induction. Former keyboardist Jon Lord was inducted posthumously after his passing in 2012.

Last year, Deep Purple embarked on the “=1 More Time” tour to support their latest album, “=1”, which included an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In NME‘s five-star review of the event, Andrew Trendell noted: “Guinness World Records called Deep Purple ‘the loudest band in the world’ during their ’70s heyday, and you’d think they were trying to reclaim their title tonight.”

“The rattling of bones and the shaking of teeth as the band dissolves into the night, creating a worldly atmosphere for this “incredible, menacing, magnificent, superior” audience.”