The stark façade of the towering mansion is but a relic of its former self. But when it was picked up by Ian Gillan, lead singer of Deep Purple, it entered its glory days.
He created a venerable splendor of the historic property that was built during the Victorian period.
At one point, it seems, the owners of the property may have planned to renovate. In aerial photos of the property taken in 2009, three dumpsters filled with rubbish are pictured in the front yard. But those, too, are left to decay.
According to some, local authorities will not allow a demolition of the structure.
It’s hard to say why the property has been left to the elements. Renovation plans seem to have been halted mid-job, the dumpsters never even retrieved.
Perhaps the owners are just waiting for the value of the property to surpass its already hefty price tag. We will have to wait and see.
Ian Gillan, the iconic frontman, was responsible for influencing the shift of rock to heavy metal. His band, Deep Purple, alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been dubbed the “unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal.”
Gillan was born in London in 1945. He grew up absorbing every kind of musical genre. Heavily influenced by the King of Rock, he took in many others besides Elvis. The Sixties were a hotbed of new sounds. He formed bands at an early age, finding his place as a lead vocalist. In bands, he started by covering songs by the likes of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Things started to pick up when he joined the band Episode Six in 1965. Moving on up, they toured with Dusty Springfield.
Commercial success, however, was illusive. And then it happened, Ian Gillan and bandmate Roger Glover hooked up with Deep Purple.