Ian Gillan - Highway Star - A Journey In Rock DVD

It took just one Elvis movie to convince the teenage Gillan that he should give the whole 'performing' thing a go and - with the exception of a short break after leaving Deep Purple for the first time - he simply hasn't stopped since. Whatever the circumstances whatever the continent Ian has spent the past 40 years carving out his place as one of rock's most influential & iconic singers. And it's this four-decade-long stint in the spotlight that is gloriously celebrated on 'Highway Star' - a lavish two-disc DVD set officially documenting The Gillan Story from Ian's... early years as a singer on the West London scene right through to his rise to the top as The Definitive Voice Of Deep Purple - a role of course he continues to occupy to this day. Which isn't to say he hasn't made his mark in other areas; he is after all the first interpretive voice of Jesus on the original 'Jesus Christ Superstar' OST and he's been known to share a stage with Pavarotti no less but it's in the world of hard rock (either with Purple Black Sabbath or leading the Gillan Band into the charts) that Ian's natural charisma intelligent lyrics and groundbreaking vocal gymnastics have consistently set him apart - loved by the fans and respected by his peers. Certainly it's no great surprise to see the likes of vocalist Ronnie James Dio Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi or former Purple keyboard player Jon Lord speaking warmly to camera about Ian The Musician and Ian The Man but it's a measure of the Gillan reputation that these interviews can be juxtaposed with pieces from Sir Tim Rice the late George Best (a Purple fan through & through) plus the aforementioned Pavarotti himself. There are also contributions from the Gillan family not to mention the current members of Purple with bassist Roger Glover providing some of the sleeve notes for the set in addition to Ian's entertaining foreword. Gillan says: ""The producers have done a brilliant job."" In the course of 'Highway Star ' Ian mentions that at the age of 60 the last thing he thought he'd be doing was preparing for a two year world tour. However to those who know him best (and they're all featured here) it's clear that this comes as no surprise at all! The journey continues! [show more]

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