Born Leicester (a Midlands town in Great Britain) on June 9th 1941, Jon Lord was exposed to music via his father's dance band and began taking piano lessons. After school he moved to London in 1960 where he attended drama college. To make ends meet he played piano in a jazz combo. This led to him joining Red Bludd's Bluesicians, renamed The Art Wood Combo aka The Artwoods when Art (older brother of Ronnie Wood) came in on vocals in 1963.

The Artwoods got a deal with Decca Records. London based, The Artwoods gigged non stop, and made the UK charts in 1966 with 'I Take What I Want', one of several singles. They issued one album 'Art Gallery' the same year. In 1967 they changed their name to St Valentines Day Massacre for one single. Jon also did session work (he's on the first Kinks album), and formed Santa Barbara Machine Head who cut three tracks before splitting.

Jon was hired to back manufactured chart act The Flowerpot Men where he met bassist Nick Simper. At the same time Lord also met former Searchers drummer Chris Curtis who introduced him to business man Tony Edwards, who in turn offered to back a new band. In late '67 Ritchie Blackmore was approached and the foundations of Deep Purple were in place. Jon Lord played in Deep Purple Mk 1, 2, 3, 4, on all twelve of their studio and live albums. He also spent time on projects outside the band. He recorded three rock/classical pieces; The Gemini Suite, Windows 1974, and Sarabande 1976.

Jon worked with Ashton Gardner & Dyke on a film soundtrack The Last Rebel 1971; with Tony Ashton on Ashton/Lord - First Of The Big Bands, released in 1974. After Purple Mk 4 split in March 1976, Jon, Ian Paice and Tony Ashton formed Paice Ashton Lord for an album and a UK tour. They split in 1978. Lord worked with Maggie Bell before joining Whitesnake in August 1978. Outside the band Jon played on Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden's two solo albums, wrote the theme music for Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady and issued a solo album Before I Forget in 1982. Deep Purple mk2 reformed in 1984, during his time with them Jon issued a second solo album Pictured Within in 1999. In 2001 Jon took a month off Deep Purple due to illness and was replaced by former Rainbow player Don Airey. When this worked out, Jon decided to leave after a UK tour in 2002.

He has since toured Australia in 2003 performing The Concerto, and has written an orchestral piece called 'Boom Of The Tingling Strings'.