Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson recently revealed details about a potential opportunity with Rainbow that could have changed rock history. He shared his account in an interview with Louder Sound.
The revelation came when Dickinson was asked directly about rumors linking him to Ritchie Blackmore’s band before his legendary tenure with Iron Maiden began.
When asked “Is it true that Ritchie Blackmore asked you to join his band Rainbow before you got the approach from Maiden?”, Dickinson provided insight into what actually transpired.
“There had been rumours of me joining Rainbow,” Dickinson said. “That was partly true. Ritchie Blackmore’s roadie had called me in the middle of the night, saying: ‘You want the gig?’ But I never heard from him again.”
This near-miss with Rainbow occurred during a pivotal moment in Iron Maiden’s history. The band was actively seeking a replacement for their original vocalist Paul Di’Anno due to performance issues.
MusicRadar reported that Dickinson’s audition for Iron Maiden in 1981 was initially challenging. The singer recalled his first thought was “This is going to be rough.” However, the chemistry quickly developed as they worked through familiar songs including AC/DC and Deep Purple tracks.
The timing proved crucial for both bands’ futures. Loudwire noted that Dickinson officially joined Iron Maiden on September 26, 1981. He made his live debut with the band just one month later on October 26 at the Palasport in Bologna, Italy.
Interestingly, the connection between Iron Maiden and Rainbow would surface again years later. Louder Sound revealed that when Dickinson temporarily left Iron Maiden in 1993, future Rainbow singer Doogie White auditioned for the vacant position but lost out to Blaze Bayley. He joined Ritchie Blackmore’s band soon after without needing further auditions.
The brief encounter with Blackmore’s roadie ultimately represents one of rock history’s most significant sliding door moments. It suggests how close the metal world came to a very different timeline with one of heavy metal’s most iconic voices potentially joining Rainbow instead of becoming the legendary frontman of Iron Maiden.
