Singer Ronnie Romero has recalled the moment he was asked to front Ritchie Blackmore’s new-look Rainbow.
The Lords Of Black vocalist was plucked out of relative obscurity by the guitar icon, who’s returning to rock music next year with two German Monsters Of Rock festivals in June, and an appearance at Birmingham’s Genting Arena the same month.
Romero tells Rafabasa.com: “I just think how lucky I’ve been – not only for winning the job, but because you start thinking about how the hell he gave it to me, especially with the enormous amount of good singers in the world.”
He says he was asked to audition for the role during the summer and thinks it was his version of Queen’s Who Wants To Live Forever that clinched the deal.
But Romero adds: “We talked about a lot of things: my music, history and experience – it was very hard not to act like a fan. I think he liked to know in-depth issues, which wasn’t difficult because Deep Purple is closely linked to me since childhood.”
The singer says his idols include Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet, Joe Lynn Turner, Ian Gillan, Doogie White and David Coverdale, and reveals many of them have already congratulated him in landing the frontman job.
Romero says: “I’ll just try to do my best to live up to what they did in their day and not to disappoint anyone. But I’m not here to replace anyone, much less compare myself with anyone.”
The lineup is completed by Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson, Blackmore’s Night drummer David Keith and bassist Bob Nouveau.