Mick Underwood was a lovely man. I was deeply saddened to learn that he had died. It’s taken me a while to digest the news and put in perspective what he meant for Ian Gillan and me. When he joined Episode Six, he brought a new sense of professionalism to the band and the live performances took an immediate upturn. That said, it can’t be denied that we’d been chasing that elusive lucky break for so long that we’d just about run out of steam. Maybe he felt that way as well, so when Ritchie called him looking for a singer, he selflessly suggested Ian Gillan knowing that he could be dealing a serious blow to Episode Six. Of course, we will never know what was in his head at the time. Now, over five decades later, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to him.

My sincere condolences to his family.

RG 2024