Steve Morse Reveals Heartbreaking Part of Quitting Deep Purple

Steve Morse reflected on his exit from Deep Purple and revealed the heartbreaking part after the decision.

Morse reunited with his Steve Morse Band to have April and May shows. He returned to the spotlight again months after leaving Deep Purple to care for his wife, who was diagnosed with a dreaded illness.

Although he began to move on with his other band, the former Deep Purple guitarist revealed how the group reacted when he announced his departure.

Steve Morse Reveals Deep Purple Bandmates' Reaction

During his recent interview with the Beaver County Times (via Blabbermouth), the guitarist opened up about his Steve Morse Band and his decision to leave Deep Purple.

Morse explained that he quit the band due to its long tours and a sudden health emergency after his wife's Stage 4 cancer diagnosis. He then revealed the apathy his former bandmates offered when he told him his decision.

"I told those guys 'I can't do this' and they were upset for like three to four seconds and then moved on," he said. "That's life, I and I wish them well and they're doing great."

The guitarist had been part of the lineup since Ritchie Blackmore's departure in 1994. He broke the former guitarist's record by having a longer time with the band than him.

Morse left the band in July and was replaced by Simon McBride. He initially opted to take a hiatus instead and planned to return once his wife's health improved. However, he officially quit four months after he took a break.

Steve Morse Shares How He Was Able To Work Out Steve Morse Band

Elsewhere in the interview, Morse shared the story of being told that his current band could not do weekend-only shows since they would not be able to pay everybody. However, they soon created a formula and chose to have three people to make things work.

By doing so, Morse is able to continue his music career and be home 90 percent of the time to be with his wife and family. He revealed that they came up with the idea so he could help himself be at home without compromising his job and passion.

Per Morse, the adjustments he did so far allowed him to support his wife amid her battle.