Jon Lord: Deep Purple Keyboardist Dies at 71

Jon Lord was an English keyboardist and composer. Born on June 9, 1941, in Leicester, he trained as a classical pianist.

He co-founded Deep Purple in 1968 and became known for playing the Hammond organ through a distorted amplifier. He played on "Smoke on the Water" and "Highway Star." He also composed the Concerto for Group and Orchestra (1969).

He left Deep Purple in 2002 and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2010. Lord died of a pulmonary embolism after pancreatic cancer in London on July 16, 2012, at age 71.

Achievements: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Deep Purple, 2016), composer.

Birth: June 9, 1941 - Leicester, England.

Profession: Keyboardist and composer.

Interesting Facts: He mixed classical and rock music.