A movie can fade fast, but one line can stick for life. It shows up in jokes, arguments, and quiet thoughts, carrying the mood of a moment long after the screen goes dark.

For a stretch there, musicians couldn’t stop name-dropping him. Blues singers blamed him. Rock bands partied with him. Country artists outran him. The 60s and 70s especially treated him like a recurring guest star.

It’s not surprising that the man behind one of rock’s most iconic riffs would have a healthy dose of main character energy. Enter Ritchie Blackmore: guitar god, chaos magnet, and the dark heart of Deep Purple and Rainbow. His musical genius is undeniable, but so is his flair for destruction.