Deep Purple singer-musician Glenn Hughes said Tuesday he is retiring from touring as he prepares to undergo heart surgery.
The 74-year-old musical artist ‘has made the difficult decision to step back from live performances for the foreseeable future,’ a statement on his Facebook page read.
The Cannock, England native said that he has ‘had some health issues’ over the ‘past year’ which he is focusing on, moving forward.
‘The results from numerous MRIs, CT scans, and an echocardiogram have alerted my medical team, that I need another open-heart surgery,’ Hughes said. ‘I really have no option and no choice as health is my number one priority.’
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said he is ‘grateful to have been chosen with a life full with the gift of music,’ adding, ‘Thank you for walking beside me.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Hughes for further comment on the story.
Deep Purple singer-musician Glenn Hughes, 74, said Tuesday he is retiring from touring as he prepares to undergo heart surgery. Pictured 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Hughes in his early years had been influenced by a variety of musical styles and genres, ranging from the Beatles to the hard rock stemming out of England and the Motown style popular in the U.S., according to Blabbermouth.
He gained prominence with the group Trapeze in the 1970s before his 1973 addition to Deep Purple, which also featured David Coverdale joining the band.
The group achieved success with the new lineup with a trio of album releases including 1974’s Burn, 1974’s Stormbringer and 1975’s Come Taste the Band, prior to that incarnation splitting up in 1976.
Hughes and his colleagues in Deep Purple had been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Hughes’ latest show came this past May 30 at St. Charles, Illinois’ Arcada Theatre with the band The Dead Daises, playing as The Purple Daises, including a mix of songs from Deep Purple, the outlet reported.
Hughes in January 2026 cited health issues in canceling a spring tour in the U.S. titled The Chosen Years, the outlet reported, which would have featured tracks from his work in Deep Purple, Trapeze, Hughes/Thrall, Iommi/Hughes and Black Country Communion.
Søren Andersen had been slated to play guitar while Ash Sheehan was the scheduled drummer for the tour, in which Hughes was lead vocalist and bassist.
Hughes had a busy 2025, as in September, he released a solo album titled Chosen, which included accompanying videos for the titular track in addition to the songs Voice In My Head and Into The Fade, according to the outlet.
L-R: Glenn Hughes, Ian Paice, David Coverdale (at back), Ritchie Blackmore and the late Jon Lord pictured on 1974 US tour
Hughes pictured in concert in Milan, Italy in 2017
He spent the majority of the fall season touring locales in Europe and South America, spanning from a September 2 concert in Zoetermeer, Netherlands to the concluding show in Bogota, Colombia on November 29.
Hughes in 1977 released his initial solo record Play Me Out, which would be the first of a dozen studio albums he would release in ensuing years.
He collaborated with guitar player Pat Thrall for the band Hughes/Thrall, which was the name of the group’s 1982 album.
Other notable names Hughes has worked with in multiple capacities – singing, writing or playing bass – include Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Gary Moore and John Norum; the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Dave Navarro, Chad Smith and John Frusciante; and famed guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, the outlet reported.
He and Iommi had worked again on the 2025 single Rocket from Robbie Williams.
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