British-born vocalist and bassist Glenn Hughes is probably best known for his work in the early seventies during the heyday of Deep Purple. However the versatile and charismatic frontman has also done stints with Black Sabbath, Trapeze, Gary Moore, Whitesnake and former Pat Travers guitarist Pat Thrall, among many others. "I'm a person that likes to be involved in a variety of musical projects," explains Hughes. "From the start in the late sixties my career approach has transcended the normal rock path. I like to think of my music as British hard rock with R&B influences." >From Trapeze, his first band of note in 1970, Hughes has always tempered his writing, arranging and performance style with a flamboyant improvisational and soulful element that has gleaned plaudits from artists as diverse as Paul Rodgers, David Bowie and Stevie Wonder.
"When I joined Deep Purple I always stuck to my guns when it came to bringing that soulful aspect to the band," asserts Hughes. "I would say, though, that overall I try to keep myself open as a writer as well as a singer. I don't really fit into any one category." That diversity has served him well not only on his solo album projects, but in his collaborations with others and in his television and soundtrack work. He has sung on a number of commercials and movies, with The Replacements being one of the most recent.
However, his heart still remains in live performance, and 2001 appears to be the year he will be doing plenty of it. Hughes will not only be doing a limited North American club tour with his trio of George Nastos on guitar and Brian Tichy on drums, he will also be performing as the newest member of The Voices of Classic Rock. The "Voices" is a revolving door ensemble of some of the finest singers in rock and pop including Toto's Bobby Kimball, Loverboy's Mike Reno, Joe Lynn Turner, Starship's Mickey Thomas, and many others.
With the trio, Hughes will undoubtedly be doing material from his extensive catalog including his current release entitled Return Of Crystal Karma. It is a solid rocking effort peppered with generous portions of blues, soul, funk and metal for a fusion that is nothing short of breathtaking! "I've gotten a lot of favorable response to that album of which I'm very grateful," says the modest rocker. "But wait till you hear the new stuff I'm working on. It's the finest work I've ever done!" Besides his solo work Hughes is busy writing songs with Joe Lynn Turner for an upcoming release.
For updates on Glenn's solo career and his work with the Voices of Classic Rock you can go online at: www.glennhughes.com and www.rockforever.com.