In 1970, 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 filled in for 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 on lead guitar with 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗹𝗲 in San Antonio, Texas after their guitarist fell ill:

“Chris Crosses Paths with Deep Purple: A Rocking Night in San Antonio”

In a turn of fate that could only happen in the world of rock ‘n’ roll, guitarist Chris Cross found himself stepping into the spotlight with legendary band Deep Purple in 1970. It all started when Deep Purple’s lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore fell ill and was unable to perform at their scheduled show in San Antonio, Texas.

Enter Chris Cross, a local guitarist and huge fan of Blackmore’s, who was recommended to fill in for the ailing rockstar. With some persuasion from promoter Joe Miller, the decision was made to have Cross join Deep Purple on stage for their first-ever show in the United States.

Despite the pressure of performing with a band of Deep Purple’s caliber, Chris Cross rose to the occasion, playing the songs he knew and jamming out some blues with the band. The crowd was thrilled by the unexpected turn of events, and Cross’s talent and enthusiasm shone through on stage.

After the show, Cross had the opportunity to meet Ritchie Blackmore at the airport, where the guitar legend thanked him for covering for him. It was a surreal and unforgettable moment for Cross, who had just shared the stage with one of his musical idols.

The night in San Antonio will forever be etched in rock history as the night when Chris Cross crossed paths with Deep Purple, proving that sometimes the show must go on, even if it means making a last-minute change in the lineup.

In 1970, 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 filled in for 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 on lead guitar with 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗹𝗲 in San Antonio, Texas after their guitarist fell ill:

“I had a promoter friend who I did a lot of kind of gopher work for and stuff like that. And I had a local band, and Joe [Miller] was promoting that [Deep Purple] show, at a place called the Jam Factory,” Cross recalled. “It was their very first show in the United States ever and someone advised them to get flu shots. So they did, and Ritchie Blackmore got very sick. And so the decision was made that they didn’t really want to cancel the show if they could help it. And Joe Miller–who was kind of managing me at the time–said, ‘Y’know, there’s this guitarist in town who’s a big fan of Ritchie’s and he could probably step in.’

“The singer 𝗜𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻 was in favor of it, I remember, but Joe pretty much ran the band and was the one that made the decision that it was better to play than not play,” Cross continued. “So I came down, and I had a Flying V and long hair, and I’m this big Ritchie fan. So we played the songs that I knew and then we jammed some blues. And they told the crowd Ritchie wouldn’t be there. It was a great moment for me. And then, when they left town, I went to the airport and got to meet Ritchie, and he thanked me for covering for him.”