News

It was 70 years ago today…

Today, on June 9, Jon Lord celebrates his 70th birthday.

Greetings and best wishes are already coming in via email and Facebook:

Fernando Manuel Vega:
Happy Birthday Jon! The Lord of the Hammond turns 70. God Bless!

Renate Walther:
Happy Birthday Jon Lord! Good health and luck. Thank you for the brillant musik.

Marcin Karski celebrates Jon’s birthday with an essay on his personal highlights from Jon Lord’s career.

If you would like to send Jon a message, please use the Comments box below – or write to happybirthday@jonlord.org.

137 thoughts on “It was 70 years ago today…”

  1. Happy Birthday, dear Jon Lord. You are the king of the Hammond Organ to me. Thank you for more 45 years of great music with and without Deep Purple. Good health and luck.

  4. Master Lord: Happy birthday from Argentina. Thank you for your music. Please come here again to visit us. Please leave us enjoy you one more time.
    Sergio F. López.-

  6. You have been a shining example of a master musician and a master gentleman. Happy birthday to a man whose music I have enjoyed and been inspired by since Shades of Deep Purple. You are the best, Jon!

  8. Happy Birthday Jon, you Inspired me with Lazy ,you left me stunned with space truckin live. I love your music . I hope you have a prosperous year. Peace you rock Legend!

  9. Happy Birthday, Jon! Lord Lord of Hammond and Fawley. Long may you continue to move us.

  11. Happy Birthday Dear Maestro Jon !
    Best wishes from your polish fan.
    Jaroslaw Skulski

  14. Happy Bithday Dear Maestro!!!
    Best Wishes From Your Bulgarian Fan!!!
    Borislav Borisov!

  15. Jon, best birthday wishes from the all your kiwi fans at the other end of the earth.

  19. Happy Birthday John, I’ve been a fan since 1968 so a big thanks for all the music then ,now and in the future.

  20. Happy birthday Maestro, thank you for existing, for what you gave us and for what you are still giving us…..it’s impossible to express in words my gratitude. Thank you, and haaaaaappyyyyyy Birthdaaaaaayyyyyyyy.

  21. Happy birthday Mr. Lord. You are the best. Forever. I hope someday you’ll come to Slovakia, to Košice. Anyway, all the best ! 🙂

    Tomas from Slovakia.

  26. Well, Jon, when I was a teenager at the age of around 13 or so, I had my first cassette recorder. Up to then I just kind of listened to what my parents where listening. But one day I heard “Child in Time” the first time which was the beginning of another life to me. Togehter with Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath and others I started to enjoy my life completely different than before… A friend of mine played “April” on a very large church organ just perfectly – and sometimes, he told me, even during the mass. I loved it. Many, many years ago my musical taste changed a bit again, rather listening to jazz, classical music, and, of course, Frank Zappa in between and still… I like Eminem, LaBrassBanda, Gangsta Rap, sometimes even Techno, I listened to Jethro Tull the early years and, of course, to Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd, the Stones and many, many others. But I still remember you as one of those guys who helped to change the world with their music. I think one of the most popular songs ever is your Montreux song “Smoke on the Water”. And that´s all great! The world would be different if it weren´t you guys who started shaking it “a bit” 🙂
    Move on as long as it makes fun!

    Ulli P.

  28. Happy 70th birthday to my greatest Maestro in absolute, my limitless source of inspiration since I was 8 years old! We love you so much, Jon! God bless you!

  36. congratulations maestro….thank you for giving me so much musical enjoyment over the years, and hopefully for many more to come

  37. Happy Birthday from Munich, Jon Lord!
    And thank you for all those amazings sounds you produced over the years. Go on and on and on…

  38. Happy Birthday Jon Lord! You are since 1970 (I was 10 years old at this time) my inspiration. In 1971 finally I started to play my own Hammond. You are the Maestro of Hammond, please don’t stop for the next 70 years…..

  39. Happy bithday mr. Jon Lord, wish you many, many fine years more to play and play……

  40. Happy Birthday Jon,

    My father let me hear Deep Purple (a lot) from when I was just a toddler, and he would always play ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ in the car. You are the reason I practice so avidly, and love that Hammond sound.

    I had the pleasure of meeting you a wee while ago, and although people say… ‘You should never meet you’re heroes’, I am so glad I did…….you are a true gentleman, pioneer and inspiration.

    Thankyou for all the cracking tunes and amazing solo’s…..Long may it continue

    All the best and God Bless,
    Yours Aye,
    Gary, Scotland

  41. Dear Mr. Lord, Happy Birthday and best wishes from Ukraine. I have been the fan of your music since Sweet Child in Time period. Thankj you very much for your sincere and touching melodies. God bless you and Best regards to your Hammond!

  43. I’ll never forget witnessing the premiere of the Durham Concerto – just one of many many wonderful musical moments that you have provided me since I first heard Made In Japan when I was 11, that was 34 years ago! A very happy birthday!
    Fondest regards, Timinox

  44. Happy Birthday,…….
    Dear Jon. I wish you a wonderfull day and many, many more years to play this fantastic music. I love this…..Thank you for all the years with your great music.
    You are really the “Maestro” …..Good luck and health.
    Barbara from Hagen, Germany

  45. Happy Birthday Jon Lord and all the best wishes from Mainz! Thank you for all your wonderfull music! I love listening to your records. You are the greatest musican ever for me 🙂

  48. Many many happy returns for your birthday hope you have a lovely day. Thanks for all the music and the way it has helped shape my life over the years (and for the chat n Liverpool last time you were here). Happy Birthday Jon.

  49. Jon Lord, I wish you a very happy birtday!! May we all keep enjoying your marvellous music!!

  50. Happy birthday Jon! And thank you for some brilliant music and wonderful concerts 🙂

  51. Happy birthday Master Jon, thanks for your music. One of my most liked pieces of music – album Sarabande. I am by the fan of your music and Deep Purple (specially 1968-1976) already there are more than 30 years. Good luck and health. Gena from Kharkov, Ukraine.

  52. С Днём Рождения, mr. Jon Douglas Lord!
    Здоровья Вам, Вашим Родным и близким, исполнения творческих проектов!!!
    Ваша Музыка – верх совершенства! Творите ещё долгие лета, на благо нас, слушающих настоящую Музыку!
    С Уважением, Игорь из Санкт-Петербурга.

    (Happy birthday, mr. Jon Douglas Lord!
    Health to you, your family, execution of creative projects!
    Your Music – beyond perfection! Get creative for many of the summer, for the benefit of us who listen to real music!
    Sincerely, Igor from St. Petersburg.)

  53. Happy Birthday Jon! 😀
    I’ve been a fan since 2002. When I heard Highway Star, Child in Time and Speed King for the first time my mind was blown. The hammond solos were so good that I just had to learn to play them myself, so I’ve been playing keyboard since then. You truly are a master on the Hammond, Keep on rocking!

    Greetings from Even, Norway.
    PS: Hope to see you in Norway soon!

  54. Happy birthday Jon from Principal and staff at Stevenson College Edinburgh.

  55. Happy Birthday, Young man. Been a fan since “HUSH”. I had the honor of seeing you play in ’73, ’85 and ’97. I will be crossing the pond next year. One of your concerts is on my “To do list”. No one has ever handled a Hammond the way you have. Not to mention the Piano! Thank you for all the wonderful music that has brighten my life. Listening to “beyond the notes” as I type this.
    Happt Birthday once again! Regards!!

  57. Happy Birthday, Jon! Long live the Lord of Hammond! I’m sure you don’t remember that we met in 2000 just after the last Concerto gig in Katowice, Poland. I said I want you to play for next 20 years… Your answer was: “After 20 years I’ll be 80…” Hope my wish will become true. God bless!

  60. Happy Birthday Jon!! You changed my life, my way of FEELING the music 30 years ago ´til now and forever.
    From URUGUAY, all the best.

  62. Happy Birthday Jon.
    Thank you for your beautiful music that brings joy and comfort. Thank you for the unique hammond sound.

  64. Happy Anniversayr Mr. Lord.
    Hope everything is well, and may your professional life continue, the way it did the last couple of years.
    All the Best,
    Hartmut

  65. Happy Birthday Jon…
    …and thank you for the music!

  66. Happy Birthday dear Jon Lord! Thank you for your music and wish you many-many happy years more! We love you! We hope we meet again in Hungary this summer!

    Andrea from HUNGARY

  68. Happy Birthday Jon.

    Have a nice day with your family and friends.

    All the best!

    Rob Hebenaar
    Holland

  70. 70’s……. like the wonderful years that are the most creative in the story of contemporary music.
    Thanks for everything you did and for every note you wrote.

    70 years…….. for the Lord of the music.

    Happy Birthday Jon! I love your music.

  71. DEAR MASTER JON LORD

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THANK YOU IN NAME OF MILLIONS FANS AROUND THE WORLD!

  74. Happy birthday Jon. Seventy years young! Keep on doing what makes you happy.

  76. Dear Sir,

    I would like to thank You for giving me the spark to start rockin`. It was ´bout 1971 when i heard the intro of Speed King, and after that life was not the same anymore I was 11 years old at the time. I knew that i had to play music myself, and i´m still doing that and loving every moment..
    I wish all the best for You and your loved ones.

    Greetings from Johan in Finland

  77. You wrote and play extraordinaire music in your first 70 years and we hope you`ll do the same in your next 100, felice compleanno maestro.

  78. Happy 70th birthday Jon, thanks for all the music to date and the music to come. I have been a fan since 1971 when I heard In Rock at school, this was a monumental moment in my life, which still gives me great pleasure. I hope you have a special day.

  79. Happy birthday Jon, thanks a lot for all the wonderful music you did and for those pieces of music you will do in the future!!

  80. Happy birthday Jon!
    Thank you for decades of fabulous music, for writing music that is truly moving.
    Stay well!

  81. Happy Birthday Jon,

    Thanks for all of the marvellous music. I bought myself a Hammond a few years ago, but it’ll take me much longer than 70 years to learn how to play it like you!

    Your music has been the backdrop to my life Jon and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  82. Happy Birthday Jon!
    You have been blessed by the good Lord, and you have blessed others by being the organ Lord! 🙂

  83. Jon, never stop mate; you have given me so much pleasure since i heard ‘In Rock’i n about ’71.

  86. Cheers Jon. I remember vividly how in the 1970’s my brothers talked about this new hardrock band from England with a drummer that could make a drum roll with the bassdrum, a guitarist that was able to play the guitar so it sounded like a violin, a bassplayer that looked like Jesus, a closet tall singer who could scream like he’d had his balls cut off and a keyboard man that sparkled sonic fireworks on the hammond. They didn’t know your names at that point.

    I also remember my father being persuaded or forced to watch Child in Time and Lazy when those songs were shown on danish television in 1972 from KB Hallen here in Denmark. He didn’t “understand” Child, but he was caught tapping his toes to Lazy I remember. That for me was a stamp of quality as he was a fan of classical music, opera, blues and jazz.

    The whole family would weekly be exposed to classical music as he always turned the volume up Sunday mornings when German ZDF aired their (in)famous Sunday concerts when we all were sleeping. It goes without saying that we had our revenge later by turning up the volume during Child in Times “opera” section…. At that moment the door would angrily be opened with the shouting of “kill that noise”. So Purple made our day.

    I’m thankful for those early influences which made me appreciate the Concerto at the Albert Hall in 1999 all the more.

    Happy birthday

  87. Happy birthday Jon,
    thank you very, very much for the wonderful music.
    All the best for you and your family.
    Keep on rocking.

    Best regards

    Jörg & family

  88. Happy birthday mr Lord! I wish you good health and everything best! I hope to see you live in Germany this year. I met you once and asked for an autograph, I was so embarrassed! I listened to “In Rock” today, “Child in Time” and “Hard Lovin’ Man” solos are just masterpieces! Hope you’re having a great day!

  89. Happy Birthday Jon Lord! Lord of Hammond!
    Thank you for giving me so much for the brillant music over the years, and hopefully for many more to come.
    I wish all the best for You and your loved ones.
    Yamil From Colombia

  90. Jon Lord – the Lord of all of my music – congratulations and a very happy birthday to you. My Idol, my mother’s milk, my all I could dream of … I wish you the very best. Keep rocking and bluesing. Sincerely, Frank

  91. Happy Birthday Jon!!!

    Greets from Palermo

    Valter, Rocco, Federica & Marina

  92. Happy birthday Jon. Have a great day and keep on enjoying the making of great music. Do it as you have always done and it will be as always brilliant.

    Cheers and see you on the road

    Ralph

  95. Happy Birthday and all the best dear Jon Lord. Although I never had the chance to see you live on stage you made my life a lot richer with your wonderful music. I wish you many more years to come in good health, enjoying to make so many people all around the world.

    Cheers from Munich

  96. Happy birthday, Jon !

    A long time fan….

    Scott Gillette
    Watertown, NY, USA

  97. Dear Jon,
    thank you for all the music Purple, Lord and Snake, also for your time, patience and attention in several interviews in Germany (Aschaffenburg, Hagen, Siegen). To celebrate your birthday adequately, I put on the Concerto DVD once again and I am looking forward to seeing you again in Wiesbaden later this year.
    I do hope you’ve had a wonderful anniversary without any stressful jobs to do and I wish you all the best for yourself, your family and, of course, your music.
    Happy birthday.
    A. Cordes, Giessen, Germany (remember the Black Night Otitis Media story?)

  98. Happy Birthday Jon…
    Waiting for more and more stufs from you.

    Before 33 years…
    I was only 14 year old when I got a lucky chance to put old and wornout Machine Head on my gramophone. At that time I never heard any hype or anything about Deep Purple before (I was just a kid guys, do not blame me) 😉

    Jon, your two simultaneous melodies in solos made my head dizzy and every time still your solos open a new world of enjoying in music. No mather how many times I listen same song I still perfectly enjoy in each second of all od Deep Purple songs.

    Deep Purple Guys! You all are my Heroes!

  99. Dear Sir Jon!

    All the best for this 70th jubilee and many thanks for all the great moments and milestones you spent with us within your fantastic musical career.

    Cheers from Vienna
    purplevienna

  102. Dear Jon Lord.

    Happy Birthday.
    My best wishes from Mexico.

    I hope you have a very good day with your family and special persons.

    I´m very fan of yours and your music. For me you are the best keyboard player in the world, full of virtousism and that special sound that you and your hammond make in every song.

    i never have the honor to see you live, but now is an honor to wish you the best in this special day.

    Many more years for you amd your music that have make a print in worlds music.

    sincerly Mario M.M.

  103. Happy birthday, Jon! I’m looking forward to years and years of productivity and live music from you! I’m glad to occasionally witness how the joy from creating music shines through in the works from the last years.

  105. SOME OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF MUSIC ARE CREATED BY THESE HANDS.
    CONGRATULATIONS MR. LORD

  106. Dr. Lord

    Best wishes on your birthday and congratulations on your continued success. Like so many others, I would like to thank you for all the years, and like so many, I got into music because of you. It was the Concerto that got me interested in orchestral music, and Purple that inspired me to take up instruments.

    I remember as a teenager my friend buying up a bunch of Purple albums after I’d introduced him to you via “Woman From Tokyo”. One album was In Rock and he blew out his speakers showing me “Child in Time”.

    I am sure that mine is just one of thousands of such stories so I will leave it at that.

    Most heartfelt wishes on this day and thanks again

    Troy Wickman
    Missouri, USA

  107. Hello, Jon,
    I wish you many new records and concerts, blues ones and with orchestra. HAPPY BIRTDAY!
    -Joan

  108. Happy Birthday Jon! You have brought much happiness to my family with your music, and we are now onto the third generation that loves you (five year old twin boys!) Wishing you many, many more happy years ahead!

    Best wishes
    Carole Ivins-Whatley
    Scotland

  109. Hello Jon Lord!
    Happy birthday – and tank you for all the good times in music;)

    Erik Bloustrød
    Skanderborg, Denmark

  110. Congratulations to Maestro Jon!
    Many thanks for your music!
    Your solo on the Hammond in “In Rock” and “Fireball” fondest memory of my youth.
    Best wishes to you from my heart !

    Alexandr Khalimov
    Russia, Kazan

  111. Dear Jon,

    Here’s one of your most long-standing fans (lucky enough to have an opportunity to chat with you after Berlin concert back 2005 :). I’d like to send you my best wishes on your 70th birthday (how time flies…) and thank you for all that great music that came out from your head, your heart and your magic fingers. To celebrate that very special day, me & my friends are going to get together for a few beers and good treatment of the music that you’ve ever been involved in – from Artwoods, through Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Supper Drumming sessions, up to solo stuff and many more. We’ll see what comes out of it 🙂
    See you (again) in Berlin!!!

    Krzysztof Paluszczak, Poznan, Poland

  112. There is no word for how important you have been – and still are – to music. From my first Deep Purple concert in 1971, and i hope years to come, you as a person and the music you have given, not only me, but this planet, a gift second to none.
    We all look forward the 10 more years.

    I hope you will have a GREAT day with music, family and people you love.
    If people who loves you, should visit you not even ten Wembly Stadions will have space enough.

  113. dear jon,
    your way of making music is like the sun, we need it and we love it and we can’t avoid it. it’s the source of energie we all need, so may your life be wonderfull. we will be there to enjoy and embrase the music that come’s from your hart and soul.
    merci, thanks, dank je wel, for all these years
    joyeux anniversair
    marc from bazas(france)

  114. Dear Jon Lord,
    it is very difficult for me to find the words to describe the great part you and your music played, still plays and will always play in my life.
    I’m hounoured that I’ve seen you a few time live on stage, which always was just amazing. I hear nearly everyday music from your carrer.

    Today I wish you and your family that all your personal and musical dreams will come true. Please keep beeing active for the next decades…

    Thanks for being just what you are: Jon Lord – rocker, philharmonian, maestro, entertainer, gentleman and idol.

    Karl-Heinz Baier from Northern Germany

  115. Dear Jon,

    I wish you a very happy birthday. Keep healty because we can’t miss you.
    And keep making music. thanks for all the music you brought to us.

    Purple greetings,
    John

  118. Happy B-day maestro !! You music, your kindness, your being….it’s an honour to know & experience them !!

  119. Happy Birthday Jon- from Brisbane, Australia.
    much love, Pete and Sandra- The second best man(n)!

  121. Happy birthday Jon!!!

    Many greetings and cheers for a great musician, human being and composer. You inspire a lot!
    Your trademark sound and wonderful playing has been following my existance for decades.
    It has been a true joy so far and I am sure that it will be for years ahead. I must admit that I’m forever stuck with this music and memories of concerts or the memories of getting the new album and eagerly putting it on the lp player, cd player or whatever. Listening to the music and studying the artwork pictures and sometimes lyrics for the first time is a magical moment. After that it is pure joy in returning to the albums years after years.
    I really would like to read your opinions and experiences in some kind of biography. Hope that you had a great day and to see you in concert i Scandinavia soon

  122. Hello, Jon ! Happy Birthday To You ! Long Live Lord Of Hammond !

    Bandiboy from Hungary

  124. Dear Jon, best wishes to your birthday. Hope the year to come will bring you happiness, a million ideas for new music and always a bottle of a very tasty wine beside you. Have a nice party tonight.

    Your “old” friend Bernd
    (who you once met in Kiel in December 2009 at Kieler Schloß. There I accompanied my daughter Franziska when you were so kind to spend some time with us for an interview for KielerLeben.)

  125. Hi Jon, all the very best from “The aussie red wine man”, Time to pay us a visit ! Forum or Palais theatre would be splendid.
    love your work which becomes more reasonant and significant with my passing into early middle years
    Long Live the Lord!!

  126. Dear Jon, Happy Birthday and all the best wishes and blessings for you.

    Here in Wiesbaden we are very proud to have you and the Concerto in our Kurhaus. I think, it is the best place to be for a great birthday-party with a lot of friends.

    See you on 6th November,

    Stephan, 1st DBass

  127. Happy 70th Jon. To the greatest musician of our times! Nobody can give a B3 a workout as you do. To me, for the past 40 years you have been the Lord of the Hammond. Is there a chance that you will be knighted soon? Sir Jon Lord certainly sounds royal to me. God Bless,

  128. Loving your way of playing Hammond organ, best wishes from your fan Alessandro from Venice – Italy

  129. 9TH OF JUNE, JAGGER CLUB, ST.PETERSBURG
    SPECIAL EVENT
    “HAMMOND SHOW”
    Rock-Organ Concert dedicated to celebrating the birthday of Jon Lord – british composer, one of the the best and the most influential rock organ and keyboard players in history, whose prominent and remarkable style of playing is always promptly recognized due to his signature Hammond organ sound!
    Featuring: Mike Ogorodov & Back To The Future

  130. Many Happy Returns, Jon!

    Love the newly relesed 7 inch with Ian G and co… yes, I still buy vinyl.

    Thanks for all the incarnations of Purple, as well as P.A.L., your stuff with the ‘Snake and solo. Keep up the good work and here’s wishing you a Very Happy Birthday!

    Andy K, England

  131. Best wishes Mr Lord. I have been a fan since I heard “Anthym” off the second Purple album . Great music always . Many more years of beautiful music. Thanks Jon.
    Paul Fuller . Australia.

  132. Hmm, sorry for being late, but it’s never to late to poste happy birthday to you, Mr. JonLord.
    May the Lord in heaven take much care of you and your close mates.

    Josef, Germany

  133. Happy birthday, now that you`re 70, you could easily wait for late wishes to arrive. All the best Maestro!

    Dirk Gentz, Germany

  134. Dear Jon Lord you are always our Lord of the rings… please Lord make a visit to India…. with love and best wishes to you,always… Happy Birthday Dear Jon Lord.

  135. Dear Lord. I am thankful for all the years i have listen to your fantastic music, even though you started playing a few years befor i was born. I have had alot of magical moments with Child in time and it has a given place on the playlist on a party. You have put light to many dark hours here in the depths of Swedish highland woods.

    Thank you for all moments of joy. Patrik

  136. I HAVE SENT TO YOU TODAY MY HERO JON LORD …THE HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY WISHES EVER, THE REASON I HAVE LEFT IT LATE ..IS BECAUSE IT WAS THE SAME DAY MY DAD DIED TEN YEARS AGO OF A MASSIVE HEART ATTTACK, SO I NOW SEND THIS MESSAGE ON AN EASIER HAPPIER DAY.
    MY LOVE FOREVER JON LORD.

    XXXXXXXXXXXXXX MAESTRO.

  137. Happy Birthday Jon . thanks for all the memories , the music and all the good you are giving to all of us fans. Keep up the great work . and I wish you a great year ahead. Peace bro!

Leave a comment