The singer Ritchie Blackmore couldn’t bear to work with again: “I went on to other things”

Ritchie Blackmore said he was not sad that he never reunited with Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio, explaining that he had moved on and neither man wanted to work together again. Their contrasting directions and strong personalities made a reunion unlikely, even though they had kept in touch and their relationship had become cordial.

Blackmore made the comments during a livestream marking his 81st birthday in 2026. He described Dio as a strong “alpha male” and said they each wanted to take the band in a different direction. Dio died in 2010, but Blackmore said that even before then, he had finished with their musical partnership.