Joe Lynn Turner (born Joseph Arthur Mark Linquito, August 2, 1951) is an American singer best known for his work with Rainbow, Deep Purple, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
Turner joined Rainbow in the early 1980s, performing on the albums Difficult to Cure (1981), Straight Between the Eyes (1982), and Bent Out of Shape (1983).[1] Following Rainbow's disbandment, Turner collaborated with Yngwie Malmsteen on the studio album Odyssey (1988) and the live album Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad (1989). In 1989, he became a member of Deep Purple, contributing to the album Slaves and Masters (1990) and toured with the band on a world tour in 1991.[2] Beyond his collaborations, Turner has released nine solo albums under his own name, beginning with his debut Rescue You (1985), and most recently Belly of the Beast (2022). Additionally, he has released two albums as part of the Hughes Turner Project: HTP (2002) and HTP 2 (2003).[3]
On August 22, 2022, Turner openly revealed his long-standing battle with alopecia. Diagnosed at the age of three, Turner began wearing a wig at 14.[4]
Career
Early work
Turner playing in Ezra, c. 1972
Turner was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, on August 2, 1951,[5] and became interested in music in the 1960s. Growing up in an Italian-American home, he was influenced by singers such as Frank Sinatra and Enrico Caruso.[6] In high school, he formed the band Ezra, performing original material and cover songs. He played the accordion as a child and learned the guitar in his early teens. He was once influenced primarily by such artists as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Free.[7]
After Fandango split, Turner received a phone call from British guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. This led to an audition, and Turner was subsequently enlisted as the lead vocalist for Rainbow. At the time, the band had achieved considerable success in Europe and Japan but had not yet attained the same level of recognition in the United States. Turner's arrival coincided with a shift toward a more mainstream, pop-oriented sound, which contributed to Rainbow's increased success in the US market.[10]
During this period, several of the band's tracks with Turner on vocals reached the Top 20 on rock radio charts in the early-to-mid-1980s. "Stone Cold" became Rainbow's first Top 40 hit, and the accompanying video received significant rotation on MTV, boosting the band's visibility in America. Turner appeared on three studio albums with Rainbow: Difficult to Cure, Straight Between the Eyes, and Bent Out of Shape. Songs such as "Street of Dreams" and "Can’t Let You Go" were notable singles from these albums.[11][12]
In Difficult to Cure, the band made an ambitious move by incorporating Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven) into the title track, blending classical and hard rock influences. The album produced Rainbow's most successful UK single, I Surrender, which peaked at No. 3 on the UK charts. It also marked significant growth for the band in the US, where "Jealous Lover" gained considerable airplay on Album-Oriented Rock radio stations and charted at No. 13 on Billboard’s Rock Tracks chart. Initially a B-side to "Can’t Happen Here", the song was later reissued as the title track for a US EP.[13]
Joe Lynn Turner shared his tenures in Rainbow and Deep Purple with Ritchie Blackmore, the founding member of both bands.
Rainbow's follow-up album, Straight Between the Eyes, further developed this AOR direction, solidifying the band's success in the US. However, this evolution in sound alienated some long-time fans who preferred the band's earlier material. The ballad "Stone Cold" became a major hit on Billboard’s Rock Tracks chart, reaching No. 1, and its accompanying MTV video received extensive play. The band’s successful American tour during this time was documented in the live album and video Live Between the Eyes.[14]
With Bent Out of Shape, Rainbow underwent further changes, including the departure of drummer Bobby Rondinelli, who was replaced by Chuck Burgi. The album featured the hit "Street of Dreams", which sustained the band’s AOR success. There was controversy surrounding the music video for the track, with Ritchie Blackmore claiming that MTV banned it due to its alleged hypnosis theme. However, critics such as Dr. Thomas Radecki of the National Coalition on Television Violence disputed this, accusing MTV of broadcasting a video with violent and disturbing imagery.[15]
The band’s final tour before disbanding in 1984 included performances in the UK and Japan. A notable highlight was a concert in Japan where Rainbow performed Difficult to Cure with a full orchestra. This performance was filmed and later released on home video as Japan Tour ’84.[16]
Debut solo album
In 1985, Turner released a solo album, Rescue You,[9] produced by Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with Queen and The Cars. He co-wrote most of the songs with keyboardist Al Greenwood (of Foreigner).[17] The first single, "Endlessly", received extensive airplay on radio and MTV. Tours with Night Ranger and Pat Benatar and an acting role in the TV movie Blue Deville followed.[18]
Yngwie Malmsteen
In late 1987, guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen restructured his band, replacing vocalist Mark Boals with Turner, and adding session bassist Bob Daisley. On April 8, 1988, Malmsteen released his fourth studio album, Odyssey, through Polydor Records, with Turner supplying the lyrics for nine of the twelve songs.[19] The album reached No. 40 on the US Billboard 200, where it remained for eighteen weeks, marking Malmsteen’s highest-charting release on the Billboard 200 as of 2021. Odyssey also reached the top 50 in five other countries, driven in part by the success of its lead single, Turner's "Heaven Tonight", with media praise for his vocal performances. During the Odyssey tour, Malmsteen performed in the Soviet Union, with shows recorded and released in 1989 as Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad.[20] This lineup dissolved when the Johansson brothers Anders and Jens, left the band, while Turner went on to join Deep Purple.[21]
Deep Purple
Turner had invitations from both Bad Company and Foreigner to join them,[22] but opted to join Deep Purple.[9] With that band he recorded one album, Slaves and Masters (1990).[9] The album peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard charts, which was below expectations for a Deep Purple album. A relatively successful tour followed in 1991, especially in Europe, with Turner willing to sing songs from the Coverdale era of the band, something Ian Gillan had refused. Turner was let go by the band in late 1992 in the middle of sessions for a follow-up album (which eventually became The Battle Rages On...) to make way for a returning Gillan in time for the 25th anniversary of the band.[23] He has also put out three albums for the progressive rock band[24]Mother's Army, featuring Jeff Watson, Bob Daisley, and Carmine Appice.
In 1995, Turner released Nothing's Changed, with contributions from guitarist Al Pitrelli. In 1998 he released Hurry Up and Wait, including the track "Too Much Is Not Enough," which he co-wrote with Bob Held and Al Greenwood. Released in 2000, Holy Man featured a collaboration with blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa. Turner continues to release solo material.
^Barber, Jim (October 24, 2016). "Joe Lynn Turner Revisits Some of His Classic Rock Influences on New Album". MusicLifeMagazine.net. Retrieved November 1, 2016. We would all sit around the table on Sundays and sing and play guitars and stuff. I used to play the accordion at first. Okay, that wasn't a very sexy instrument so I dropped that pretty quick and started playing guitar. And when you start to play guitar and it gets known, that's when you start to attract the attention of the girls in high school. And I think that's a pretty universal story – shy kid uses guitar to get noticed," (Turner) said.
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