Joe Lynn Turner

Joe Lynn Turner (JLT) (born Joseph Linquito) August 2, 1951 in Hackensack, New Jersey), was the singer for Fandango and two British hard rock groups Rainbow (1980-1984; break-up) and Deep Purple (1989-1992). After Fandango split, JLT received a phone call from legendary Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. This resulted in an audition and Blackmore was so impressed that he immediately enlisted Joe in Rainbow.

Rainbow, while popular in Europe and Japan, had not reached the same level of success in the US before JLT joined. With Turner's contributions (largely considered more pop-oriented), the group was catapulted to a new level of American success. Several tracks from albums with Turner reached the Top 20 on rock radio charts in the early- to mid-80's. "Stone Cold" became Rainbow's first Top 40 hit and the band's videos were played in heavy airplay on MTV. Turner recorded three studio albums with Rainbow: Difficult to Cure, Straight Between the Eyes, and Bent Out of Shape, which featured the single "Street Of Dreams". Rainbow disbanded in 1984, and Blackmore rejoined Deep Purple. He was also a songwriter and has also worked with famous guitarists Yngwie J. Malmsteen and Ritchie Blackmore (of Deep Purple). He is now working on his prolific solo career since his departure from Deep Purple and has worked with Glenn Hughes under the "Hughes Turner Project" name and with the Bulgarian guitarist Nikolo Kotzev and his band Brazen Abbot. In 2006 he worked with Turkish guitar virtuoso Cem Köksal on a tour. The DVD of this tour "Cem Köksal feat Joe Lynn Turner - LIVE!!" released on February 2007.