Joe Lynn Turner

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Lore & Background

Turner's arrival at Rainbow marked a pivotal shift toward a mainstream, pop-oriented sound that revitalized the band in the United States. Tracks like "Stone Cold" reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock Tracks chart, while "I Surrender" peaked at No. 3 on UK charts. The album Difficult to Cure ambitiously incorporated Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 into its title track, blending classical and hard rock influences. Controversy surrounded the music video for "Street of Dreams" from Bent Out of Shape; Ritchie Blackmore claimed MTV banned it for a hypnosis theme, though critics disputed this, citing violent imagery instead. During the band's final tour in 1984, Rainbow performed Difficult to Cure with a full orchestra in Japan, an event filmed and released as Japan Tour ’84. This era established Turner as a key figure in the AOR movement of the early-to-mid-1980s.

In Their Own Story

In late 1987, Yngwie Malmsteen restructured his band, replacing Mark Boals with Turner and adding bassist Bob Daisley. This lineup released Odyssey on April 8, 1988, which became Malmsteen's highest-charting release on the Billboard 200 at No. 40, staying for eighteen weeks. Turner supplied lyrics for nine of the twelve songs, including the lead single "Heaven Tonight." The tour included historic performances in the Soviet Union, recorded and released as Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad (1989). Despite this success, the lineup dissolved after the Johansson brothers left. Turner then faced a choice between Bad Company, Foreigner, and Deep Purple, ultimately joining Deep Purple to record Slaves and Masters (1990). Although the album peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard 200, below expectations, the subsequent 1991 tour was successful in Europe. Turner famously sang Coverdale-era songs that Ian Gillan had refused, before being let go in late 1992 to make way for Gillan's return.

Reader's Guide

Fans exploring Joe Lynn Turner's discography should start with his Rainbow era (1981–1983), which includes the Top 40 hit "Stone Cold" and the orchestral ambition of Difficult to Cure. For those interested in his neoclassical metal work, Odyssey (1988) with Yngwie Malmsteen is essential, featuring Turner's lyrics on nine tracks and reaching No. 40 on the Billboard 200. His time with Deep Purple is defined by Slaves and Masters (1990); while it underperformed commercially compared to previous entries, his willingness to perform Coverdale-era material during the 1991 tour remains a unique footnote in the band's history. Solo listeners can begin with Rescue You (1985), produced by Roy Thomas Baker, or explore later works like Holy Man (2000) featuring Joe Bonamassa. The Hughes Turner Project offers two albums, HTP (2002) and HTP 2 (2003), showcasing his collaboration with Glenn Hughes.

Did You Know?

• Turner was born Joseph Arthur Mark Linquito and began wearing a wig at age 14 after being diagnosed with alopecia at age three.
• He played the accordion as a child before learning guitar in his early teens, influenced by Frank Sinatra and Enrico Caruso.
• The song "Jealous Lover" started as a B-side to "Can’t Happen Here" but was later reissued as the title track for a US EP after charting at No. 13 on Billboard’s Rock Tracks.
• In September 2025, Turner served as the United States member of the international jury at Intervision 2025, introducing himself to the audience as a U.S. juror.