"I think more people listen to Hank Marvin than Jimi Hendrix. There was also Eric Clapton, who I never really liked. I thought some of his solos were good, but I mean only 2 out of a hundred. Eric didn't affect me in any way. Hendrix, that's who I came back to England for, because I gave up before Cream and Hendrix showed up, and it was like, "Thank God someone's playing music." It all started anew with them."
Ritchie Blackmore from a 1974 interview