When Classic Rock Awards recently honoured Deep Purple with The Innovator Award, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice were there to accept the award.
Ian Paice read out this message from Jon:
I very much wanted to be there this evening to stand with these fine chaps – my musical companions of more than forty years and indeed my friends for a lifetime – but, although my progress is really good, I am finding that the treatment I am undergoing often leads me more towards a cup of cocoa and an early night than to a bottle of red wine with it’s accompanying table-full of wonderfully scurrilous gossipmongers and joke-tellers.
May I add my heartfelt thanks for this award and for recognising that what we did – when we were just five brave lads with no regard for boundaries but with an abiding love of writing and playing music – was indeed innovative. It was also loud, down and dirty, subversive and dangerous, intricate and yet often blindingly simple, very exciting to play and above all else it was astonishingly good fun – and yes we did “dance and sing and stand on a mountaintop.” Didn’t we just.
My heartfelt thanks too to the gentlemen on the stage for being part of changing my life and for playing like heroes. Oh, and please don’t forget who first bullied them into playing with an orchestra!
I’ll see you down the road somewhere.
God bless.
Jon Lord
Photo: Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover at the Classic Rock Awards, © Foruli Publications
Jon Lord - The Official Website 
This award is long overdue…Long Live Deep Purple!!!
What eloquence. These simple yet oh so poignant words can only be endorsed by we for whom you guys brought/bring so much pleasure.
Congratulations and good luck to you all from a someone who is proud to have known you from the beginning… Sam Hamilton…. or in Ian’s case, “the good samamilton”
My Prayers go Out To You And They Are Powerful!! Much Love!
Beautiful words as always Jon. I wish you a speedy recovery. Brian Cizakowsky
Congratulations men – you are still brilliant. And please get well soon Jon. We love you
Teri & Eve (Tebbit) ex – Ye Olde Leatherne Bottel XXXX
Noble words from a musical hero.
Congratulations Jon, and continued best wishes for your ongoing treatment. You were particularly in my thoughts on Monday at the Zermattitis book-launch.
Did they remeber about Ritchie,main innovator in this band …?
Jaro
Fight and defeat this evil illness, and comeback in full health very soon!!!!
God bless you
Wonderful words from a genius.Very best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery Jon.
Five words that really stands out; “my progress is really good”.
In my humble world, that has made my day!
Keep fighting (because I have not seen a Jon Lord concert yet and I WILL!!!!)
Best regards and wishes
Harald
Dear Jon
It´s an absolute joy to learn that you are progressing in fighting this ugly disease, for me as an absolute fan for some forty odd years I can only congratulate you and your fellow co travelers on this journey for a well deserved recognition. In a perfect world you will recover with as less pain and problems as possible get your strength back and reform every lineup of your lovely band for a one off appearance, that would be something, but more importantly get well soon and and have a good life for many more years to come.
Mikael Sahlström
Just to echo what so many others have said – congratulations to all of DP for winning the award and many thanks to Jon for these truly touching words. We’re all sending our love, prayers and positive thoughts your way. x
Dear Jon,
It’s now been two years since I had the absolute pleasure of performing on stage with you in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, and I can still say it is the highlight of my life thus far (to be fair I still have a long way to go, I hope!). One of my biggest fears in meeting someone such as yourself, was the possibility that you might not have met up to my standards and preconceptions of what a rock legend would be like to meet in person. You far succeeded any and all of my expectations, and I have never met someone as warm and receptive as yourself, especially given that you no doubt have to deal with people wanting your time on such a persistent and regular basis.
It is for that reason that I was very upset to hear about your illness, although I am happy to hear that you are fighting it; I didn’t think for one minute you would let it get you down.
Last week I had the honour of meeting Rodger Glover, Don Airey and Steve Morse when they played at the Glasgow SECC on November 26th. Seeing them live for the first time was phenomenal, and it is great to see that they still have so much energy in them!
Thanks for being an empowering force in my musical life,
A fellow musician and friend,
Grant Barclay.
Keep up the fight, Jon.
Lots of Love
Karin
Hello Jon, happy to learn you’re feeling better
Best wishes
I wish you all the best, I have followed Deep Purple since 1973 and not stopped ever since. I has made my life happier, and I will admire your for ever. I hope to see you soon back at work, and if possible in a Jon Lord concert in Barcelona. You have many fans here, we all pray for your full recovery as soon as possible.
Jordi
felicidades Mr Lord esperando que se siga recuperando satisfactoriamente de su enfermedad,por siempre fan de DP y de Ud,saludos desde la Cd y Puerto de Progreso,Yucatán,México.
Jon, espero que recibas el mejor premio que una persona de bien que tanto ha dado a sus pares puede recibir, que es poder compartir su vida con sus seres queridos en salud. Desde ya cuenta con mi voto para ello. Best Regards. God Bless you.
Dear Jon,
Den besten Hard Rock den es je gab habt ihr zelebriert auf der Bühne.Mach weiter da oben mit dem Song Space Traecking du wirst uns Fehlen.Deine Musik ist Endlos ,mein Beileid an die Familie und nochmals vielen Dank für das Autogramm am Jazzfestival in Montroux 1996 . Gruss Seven
From Germany: The inspiration given by your famous piano- or keyboard sequences will be rooted deeply in the minds of any contemporary and coming artists as well ! You’ve been a sophisticated, individualistic musician in your time – mother earth will miss you- and I’ll miss you deeply,too! My deepest condolence to your family survivors: DonW, Germany,July 19,2012
Dear Jon,
Jazztage Roth 2011 mit Blues Project, ich werde immer daran denken. Unvergesslich, ich danke dir.
Thomas