DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Don Airey is featured in a new interview with Classic Rock Revisited. An excerpt from his chat with website founder Jeb Wright appears below.

Jeb: You started out taking classical piano lessons. How did you become the quintessential heavy metal keyboardist?

Don: "I was at a music conservatory in Manchester. I happened to see Deep Purple—this was 1971. I thought in my head, 'That is what I want to do.' I had a jazz trio that I played with in Manchester for money. An agent saw us and he phoned me up. I had just finished college and I was going to be taking a teaching job. This agent calls me up and says, 'There is a cruise liner getting ready to go to Hong Kong. Can you be on it tomorrow with a band?' I said, 'Yes.' I just changed tracks right away. I went around the world on this cruise line and I ended up back in England and I met (drummer) Cozy Powell. I really didn’t plan it; it just happened."

Jeb: Tell me about Cozy.

Don: "He is missed by anyone who knew him. He was one of the most wonderful people, and musicians, I have ever known. It is funny—every time I am sitting in a bar in a hotel with Ian Paice or Ian Gillan, and there is a guy playing the piano and I say, 'There but for the grace of Cozy Powell go I.'"

Jeb: How ironic that you saw Deep Purple and knew this was your path and then in 2002, you took over for Jon Lord in that very band. The universe sometimes works in mysterious ways.

Don: "I can certainly vouch for that. I would have never predicted that to happen."

Jeb: From the fans perspective, you are not only the obvious choice, you are pobably the only choice they could make and keep things legitimate.

Don: "I am not sure if they even looked for anybody else. I got it by accident. I would have thought that Brian Auger would be the more obvious choice. Jon was ill the summer before on tour and I stepped on stage with only 24 hours notice. After about ten seconds, I decided to stop trying to sound like Jon and started trying to sound like myself. It worked out very well and I enjoyed playing with them very much."

Go to this location for the complete interview.