The Rainbow Band

The rainbow band are one of the most iconic rock groups in history, a group who have been through many changes over the years. Formed in 1975 by former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and Elf singer Ronnie James Dio, Rainbow are regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time.

Despite having many lineup changes throughout the years, Rainbow still remain a very popular live band with a loyal following worldwide. Their classic songs such as "Ariel" and "Rainbow Eyes" have been played live by several former members of the band since the group's split in 1984 and again in 1997, including former frontmen Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet, Joe Lynn Turner and Doogie White in recent years.

Rainbow were originally formed in London and Los Angeles by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who had been a member of Deep Purple for several years prior to forming the band. The group was first credited as "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" but eventually became shortened to simply "Rainbow".

In the early '70s, Blackmore began writing music in a different style than Deep Purple's, incorporating classical influences and medieval themes into his rock songs. The group's first album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975), was well received and featured the minor hit single "Man on the Silver Mountain".

After the release of Long Live Rock 'n' Roll in 1978, the band had established themselves as one of Europe's top selling bands, and became highly successful in Japan. But the band's volatile relationship with vocalist Ronnie James Dio became increasingly strained, and the singer was a major source of tension within the group.

The group's subsequent line-up changed a great deal as Dio left in 1979 and was replaced by ex-Marbles vocalist Graham Bonnet, bassist Roger Glover, and keyboardist Don Airey. The new Rainbow were able to record the hit song "All Night Long" and headline the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington in 1980, but the band was short-lived due to Blackmore's dissatisfaction with his new singer.

Dio was a talented and versatile singer, capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads. He was also an excellent songwriter, having written all of Rainbow's songs with Blackmore.

During their heyday, the group released eight studio albums and toured extensively. They were considered one of the pioneers of the AOR genre, and their music helped to influence many of the bands that followed them in this genre.

A major turning point in the band's history was their performance of the classic "Difficult to Cure" with a full orchestra at the Rock Hall of Fame in 1984. The song is considered by many to be their best work, and was a huge hit with audiences all over the world.

It is a testament to the band's popularity that even after Dio left in 1979, they were still able to tour and sell out shows throughout the 1980s. Their success and reputation was such that they were invited to join the Black Sabbath tour in 1982, which had been cancelled due to a disagreement with lead vocalist Tony Iommi.