Joe Lynn Turner
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Biography
Joe Lynn Turner (JLT), born Joseph Linquito August 2, 1951 in Hackensack, New Jersey, is a melodic hard rock singer best known for his work with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen and his brief stint in Deep Purple. He played the accordion as a child, grew up with an appreciation for classic R&B and became an accomplished guitarist in his early teens. He was ranked 84th in Hit Parader’s “Heavy Metal’s All-Time 100 Vocalists”.
Early Career to Present
In high school, Joe formed Ezra, performing original material and cover songs by such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Free and Deep Purple. In 1976, JLT enjoyed his first taste of national success with Fandango, a band described as an eclectic mix of R&B, pop, country, jazz and melodic rock. Turner sang and played guitar on all of the band’s four albums. Fandango toured with numerous artists including The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Beach Boys and Billy Joel.
After Fandango split, JLT received a phone call from legendary Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. This resulted in an audition and Blackmore was so impressed that he immediately enlisted Joe in Rainbow.
Rainbow, while popular in Europe and Japan, had not reached the same level of success in the US before JLT joined. With Turner’s contributions (largely considered more pop-oriented), the group was catapulted to a new level of American success.
Early Career to Present
In high school, Joe formed Ezra, performing original material and cover songs by such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Free and Deep Purple. In 1976, JLT enjoyed his first taste of national success with Fandango, a band described as an eclectic mix of R&B, pop, country, jazz and melodic rock. Turner sang and played guitar on all of the band’s four albums. Fandango toured with numerous artists including The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Beach Boys and Billy Joel.
After Fandango split, JLT received a phone call from legendary Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. This resulted in an audition and Blackmore was so impressed that he immediately enlisted Joe in Rainbow.
Rainbow, while popular in Europe and Japan, had not reached the same level of success in the US before JLT joined. With Turner’s contributions (largely considered more pop-oriented), the group was catapulted to a new level of American success.
Top Albums
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Odyssey
13,240 listeners12 tracks
Released:
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Rescue You
2,075 listeners11 tracks
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Live In Germany
1,040 listeners13 tracks
Released:
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Under Cover
1,889 listeners13 tracks
Released:
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