Cancer-Stricken Former Deep Purple Keyboardist Says He Is 'Doing Well'

by **TexasBlue** Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:17 pm

Cancer-Stricken Former Deep Purple Keyboardist Says He Is 'Doing Well'

Dec. 31, 2011

Former Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord, who revealed this past summer that he was fighting cancer, has released the following statement:

"Happy New Year to all of you and thank you so much for your wonderful, kind and inspirational messages over these last few difficult months. I have been mightily sustained by reading them and will continue to be so. You are a very special lot indeed. I am doing well and I will be back with more news and updates in the next week or so. In the meantime, party hearty but look after yourselves. I wish you success and happiness, and above all, I wish you health."

Jon Lord is recognized for his Hammond organ blues-rock playing and unique sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms. He has most famously been a member of Deep Purple, the band he co-founded in 1968.

Lord earlier in the year received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Leicester.