Legendary keyboard player Jon Lord has been diagnosed with cancer.
Lord, 70, is best known for his work with Deep Purple, with whom he performed on 16 studio releases and countless live albums recorded between 1968-1998.
He released the following statement via his official website:
“I would like all my friends, followers, fans and fellow travelers to know that I am fighting cancer and will therefore be taking a break from performing while getting the treatment and cure.
“I shall, of course, be continuing to write music — in my world it just has to be part of the therapy — and I fully expect to be back in good shape next year.
“God bless and see you soon.”