Jon Lord - Honorary Degree - University of Leicester

A short clip of Jon Lord receiving and responding to the presentation of the Honorary Degree (Doctor of Music) from the University of Leicester. Jon Lord was born in Leicester in 1941 and was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys, right next door to the University of Leicester. Moving to London at 19, he started performing with jazz bands and rhythm and blues groups, acquiring his first electric organ in 1963. In 1968 Jon Lord co-founded Deep Purple and during his eight years with the band, his Hammond organ riffs underpinned many great songs including the classic 'Smoke on the Water'. He also took the band in a classical direction by composing a major work, 'Concerto for Group and Orchestra', first performed in 1969 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold. After a brief spell as one third of Paice, Ashton and Lord, he played with Whitesnake between 1978 and 1984 then rejoined a new line-up of Deep Purple where he stayed until retiring in 2002 to concentrate on solo work. Throughout his career in rock, Jon Lord has continued a parallel career in classical music, recording and performing his own compositions. The last time Jon Lord visited the University of Leicester was 41 years ago when Deep Purple played at the Students' Union on 7 February 1970.