Rainbow's Ronnie Romero: Fans don't want me to sing like Dio

Ronnie Romero
Ronnie Romero (Image credit: Getty)

Ronnie Romero says that “it’s not a good idea” to sing in the style of previous Rainbow singers.

The Chilean-born Lords Of Black vocalist, who was personally chosen for the role by guitar icon Ritchie Blackmore last year, thinks fans appreciate him more for being true to himself onstage – rather than copying former frontmen such as Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner.

He tells Metal Shock Finland: “I feel really good with my job. I tried to make justice, not just to the songs, but all the singers.

“I just try to sing the songs in my own way and my own style and I think the people appreciate that. I’m not just a copy of the other singers, I prefer to sing like Ronnie Romero singing those songs.

“I think the people prefer that – I think they don’t like seeing a guy or pay for a ticket to hear a guy try to sing like Ronnie James Dio. It’s not a good idea.”

Last month the new-look Rainbow lineup played two shows at the German Monsters Of Rock festival and at the Genting Arena in Birmingham, UK. And although Blackmore previously ruled out further live performances, Romero hopes for a return to the stage in 2017.

He adds: “I really hope that we can maybe next year, but I have a really great feeling about the band and this relationship with Ritchie. He’s really happy with the results and the audience.

“Maybe we can make some more shows happen. Stay tuned.”

Romero’s other band Lords Of Black will support German guitarist Axel Rudi Pell on his upcoming European tour before hitting Japan’s Loud Park Festival in October.

Lords Of Black 2016 tour dates

Aug 10: Villena Leyendas Del Rock, Spain
Aug 26: Ripollet Rock, Spain
Sep 02: Bremen Aladin, Germany
Sep 03: Weert De Bosuil, Netherlands
Sep 04: Bochum Zeltfestival Ruhr, Germany
Sep 06: Saarbrucken Garage, Germany
Sep 07: Hannover Capitol, Germany
Sep 12: Vienna Simm City, Austria
Sep 13: Frankfurt Batschkapp, Germany
Sep 14: Ludwigsburg Rockfabrik, Germany
Sep 16: Memmingen Kaminewerk
Sep 17: Novara Phenomenon, Italy
Sep 18: Worgl Komma, Austria
Sep 20: Nurnberg Hirsch, Germany
Oct 08: Japan Loud Park, Japan

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Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.