1984: Watch Jon Lord’s Last Whitesnake Show

In rock music, the sound is definitely centered on the guitar – crunchy distortion and other innovative effects make the genre unique as it is. But since its inception, a few instruments have come to challenge the status quo – one of which is keyboards. Whether it be a piano, organ, or synthesizer, our favorite rockers have made it possible to incorporate these instruments in the genre and take the sonic experience to a whole new level.

One fine example of such a musician is Jon Lord, best known for his tenure in the heavy metal band, Deep Purple. Lord’s signature tone was accomplished by using a Hammond organ and driving it through a Marshall speaker with some distortion in a mix. The resulting sound was of a chugging, doomsday quality that infused classical or Baroque styles to provide a counterbalance to Ritchie Blackmore’s lead guitar.

When he moved on to Whitesnake, Lord’s job description changed, now providing melodic support and highlighting the blues-rock sound mainly carried by Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody. He added an electric piano and a ton of synthesizers to his setup as well, as a way to keep up with the band’s current sound.

Watch Jon Lord’s final show with the band on the Swedish TV program Måndagsbörsen on April 16, 1984.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-ipw0lP6s