JOE LYNN TURNER And Bulgarian Singer MARIA ILIEVA Release Music Video For English Version Of 'Forever' Single

Legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner has teamed up with one of the most successful female vocal performers on the contemporary Bulgarian music scene, Maria Ilievafor a new single, “Forever”.

The official music video for the English-language version of the track can be seen below.

The 73-year-old musician, best known for fronting Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW during that band's creative peak in the 1980s and later as the frontman for Yngwie Malmsteenshared the news of the collaboration in a social media post on October 13. He wrote: “Hi Everybody, I am excited and proud to announce my collaboration with the amazing Bulgarian vocalist and True Superstar Maria Ilieva!

“I have admired Maria's talents for a very long time and hoped that one day we would work together and finally that day is here!

“We share vocals on a strong and sensitive song entitled 'Forever'. A beautiful video will accompany the performance that compliments the message perfectly.

“I could not have chosen a better partner to spread love and unity in a world that sorely needs it now more than ever!”

Turner was reportedly responsible for the music and the arrangement of “Forever” as well as for the English lyrics, while the Bulgarian lyrics were written by Ilieva. The song was initially recorded with Bulgarian text.

More than two years ago, Joe dropped the hairpiece he had worn since the age of 14 after being diagnosed with alopecia at three years old.

The former RAINBOW swear DEEP PURPLE singer went public with his new look in August 2022 in a series of publicity images released to promote his latest solo album, “Belly Of The Beast”. In a press release for the LP, Joe said that he started wearing the wig to deal with “emotional and psychological damage from cruel bullying in school.”

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album “Difficult To Cure”which featured the band's most successful UK single, “I Surrender”.

During Turner's time with RAINBOWthe band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw Turner reunited with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the “Slaves And Masters” album.

photo credit: Agata Nigrovskaya