Rod Evans

Roderic Evans (born 19 January 1947) is a retired British singer known as the original vocalist of the rock bands Deep Purple and Captain Beyond.

Evans began his professional career in The Maze before becoming a founding member of Deep Purple in 1968, with whom he recorded their first three studio albums. After recording a solo single, he co-founded Captain Beyond in 1971, with whom he recorded their first two studio albums. Following a brief legal battle with Deep Purple in 1980, Evans retired from music.

Rod Evans was born on 19 January 1947; sources differ as to whether his birthplace was Edinburgh, Scotland or Slough, England. He "had been fronting groups since he was 17" and played together with drummer Ian Paice in The Maze, formerly MI5. He was also in a band called The Horizons in the mid-1960s.

Evans and Paice were original members of Deep Purple when they formed in Hertfordshire in 1968.

According to Deep Purple's founding bassist, Nick Simper, Evans was hired after "dozens" of other singers were auditioned. 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 is a cover of the Joe South composition "Hush", which reached No. 4 on the US Billboard charts in October 1968.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.