By Chloe Maddren, Happy Mag | Steve Morse, who has played with Deep Purple since 1994 has announced he is officially stepping down from the band to care for his wife Janine during her battle with cancer.
The guitarist originally took a break from the band last year after Janine was diagnosed with cancer but he has since decided to make his hiatus permanent so he can support his partner while she undergoes treatment.
Steve released a statement saying: “Last Autumn, I suddenly left the Purple writing session in Germany because my wife was having a real medical crisis.
“Almost a year later, we are learning to accept stage four aggressive cancer and chemo treatment for the rest of her life.
“We both miss being at shows, but I simply couldn’t commit to long or far away tours, since things can change quickly at home.”
Steve went on to explain that he had hoped the break would be temporary but as his wife’s condition worsened, he could no longer commit to being away from home for long periods of time.
“I suggested lining up a substitute guitarist last Autumn, hoping we could see the miraculous cancer cure all of us have heard about. As time went by, I could see the way things were heading though, after 28 years of being in the band.” Steve went on.
“I’ll miss everybody in the band and crew but being Janine’s helper and advocate has made a real difference at many key points.
“As Janine adjusts to her limitations, she is able to do many things on her own, so we will try to play some shorter nearby concert tours with friends to – hopefully – get both of us out of the house!”
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https://happymag.tv/steve-morse-quits-deep-purple/ | http://www.stevemorse.com
Deep Purple’s Steve Morse Quits the Band to Care for Wife Battling Cancer
