Months after retiring from touring, Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes has undergone a crucial medical procedure. The legendary metal singer/guitarist underwent an open-heart surgery operation that lasted around 10 hours.
In a social media post shared by Metal Injection, Hughes revealed that he had made it home after an “eight-day stay and a 10-hour open-heart surgery operation” at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center. He added that he felt “gratitude” following the hospitalization and surgery.
Deep Purple frontman Glen Hughes retired from live shows and touring in August 2026
Just a couple of months prior—in August 2026—Hughes announced his retirement from touring and performing live.
In a statement shared to his Instagram page, Hughes reps explained: “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Glenn Hughes announces his retirement from touring and live performances. Upon his Doctor’s advice, Glenn will have to undergo heart surgery and has made the difficult decision to step back from live performances for the foreseeable future.”
Hughes added a personal statement as well. “This past year, I’ve had some health issues,” he said. “The results from numerous MRIs, CT scans, and an echocardiogram have alerted my medical team that I need another open-heart surgery. I really have no option and no choice, as health is my number one priority. Grateful to have been chosen with a life full with the gift of music.”
Finally, he added, “Thank you for walking beside me,” and concluded his message, “Your friend Glenn.”
Glenn Hughes rejected the idea of retirement back in 2025
Interestingly, in August 2025, Hughes rejected the idea of retirement, telling Eddie Trunk that retirement wasn’t on his radar. “The word retirement is something I don’t normally say,” he said, then noting that he’d just been out with his other band, Black Country Communion.
“In June, I went on a tour of Europe with Black Country Communion,” he explained. “And Joe [Bonamassa, guitarist] and I were talking after two shows in that we were thinking before we started that tour that maybe this would be the end of BCC. Maybe we’ve done, and we’ve done and dusted what we started out to do.”
“And funny enough, we felt on that tour of Europe that we were actually just getting started,” he continued. “You know, we made a live album, by the way; it’ll be coming out early next year. I think sometime early, early this year, I thought, you know, maybe I should slow it down. Maybe I should take it easy, you know, blah, blah, blah. But ever since I came home from the BCC tour, I’m reinvigorated. I’ve got new purpose.
Finally, Hughes said, “I’ve never felt so strong, and I’m really looking forward to doing more shows, both solo and with Black Country Communion.”
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
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