Ian Gillan Says His Vision Has Dropped to 30%, Opening Up About His Health

Facing Health Challenges at 80

At 80 years old, Ian Gillan is still touring with Deep Purple, and the band already has many dates booked for 2026. But in a recent interview with Uncut, he shared that his health has changed in ways he can no longer ignore. Gillan revealed that his vision has dropped to 30 percent, and for the first time, he is openly thinking about the band’s eventual retirement.

He described how the condition affects his daily routine, especially when working on his computer. “It’s one of those things. I’ve only got 30 per cent vision. That won’t get better. It makes life mysterious. The hardest thing is working on my laptop. I can’t see anything on the screen unless I use my peripheral vision – I pick up a line by looking at it sideways. But you find a way. You adapt. But it’s achingly tiresome. It takes a long time to do the work.”

Humor and Aging

Gillan also spoke about growing older with a mix of honesty and humor. He said, “It’s hilarious this growing old thing. It’s a laugh a minute. Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no. I walk down the road and hear something drop off – clang, there’s something else gone.” Despite the challenges, he explained that most parts of his life still feel the same. “Nothing’s changed really apart from I can’t pole vault any more. Other than that, things move a little more slowly. But nothing’s changed.”

He believes that humor makes difficulties easier to handle. “If you’ve got a sense of humour, you can get by with most things.” Still, the idea of retirement is no longer far away for him. “(Retirement) isn’t far off. I think if I lose my energy I’m going to stop. I don’t want to be an embarrassment to anyone. We’re not far off that. It creeps up on you – you don’t really notice.”

Reflecting on Creativity and the Band

For Gillan, performing and writing are still mental tasks that keep him active, even as the physical aspects become more tiring. “But then this isn’t like a normal job. It’s all in your mind. The writing certainly is, and the ability. And these guys who I work with just seem to keep improving. The hard thing is to keep them down,” he said.

Gillan remains the singer most associated with Deep Purple’s success. He first joined the band in 1969, left in 1973, returned from 1984 to 1989, and has been the frontman again since 1992. Today, he performs alongside Ian Paice on drums, Don Airey on keyboards, Roger Glover on bass, and Simon McBride on guitar.