King of Darkness
RONNIE JAMES DIO PASSES AWAY 16 May 2010 01:30:31
It was only a month ago that Dio, 67, spoke about his battle with cancer with the Artisan News Service on the "black carpet" of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, which took place on April 8 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. When asked about how he had been feeling since he was diagnosed with the disease late last year, Dio said, "Well, I feel good and bad at times. It's a long process. Chemotherapy is a... I never realized what a difficult thing it was to go through. It's a real cumulative effect — the more you have, the more it piles up on top and it takes longer and longer to get over it. I find it very difficult to eat. I don't like to eat anyway, so I guess that's OK. But I know I have to. But this makes it very, very hard. But if you're determined to beat it, then you have to go with what you believe is going to beat it for you, and in this case it's that. I go to a great hospital in Houston called M.D. Anderson, which I think is the best hospital in the world, I have the best doctor in the world, Dr. Ajani, who I really trust and I really believe in, so I think I've done all the right things. It makes me feel positive about my life and positive that there is a lot more of it to live."
Earlier this month, HEAVEN & HELL canceled its summer tour plans in Europe due to Dio's treatment for stomach cancer. The band said in a statement that Dio wasn't "well enough to tour this summer. We hope that everyone understands and want to thank fans and industry colleagues for their continuing support at this time."
Born Ronald James Padavona in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Ronnie James Dio had performed with ELF, RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, and his own band DIO. Other musical projects included the collective fundraiser "Hear 'n Aid". He is widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal, renowned for his consistently powerful voice and for popularizing the "devil's horns" hand gesture in metal culture. He was most recently involved with HEAVEN & HELL, a project which also included former BLACK SABBATH bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice. Their first and only studio album, "The Devil You Know", was released on April 28, 2009.
In April, Dio appeared at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles to accept the award for "Best Vocalist." As members of ALICE IN CHAINS presented the award to him, the crowd chanted, "Dio! Dio! Dio! Dio!"
Juli 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010
R.I.P
Ronnie James Dio was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter of Italian descent.
He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser Hear 'n Aid. He was widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal, renowned for his consistently powerful voice and for popularizing the "devil horns" hand gesture in metal culture. Prior to his death, he was collaborating on a project with former Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice, under the moniker Heaven & Hell, whose first studio album, The Devil You Know, was released on April 28, 2009. Dio died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010. One of the last songs he had a chance to record was titled "Metal Will Never Die".
Early years, education and musical training.
Ronnie James Dio was born Ronald James Padavona in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the only child of Italian parents. They lived in Portsmouth until the family moved to Cortland, New York early in his life. His parents raised him in the Roman Catholic Church, an experience he found unsatisfactory.
He initially played the trumpet and French horn and even recorded several singles with various rockabilly bands when he was a boy. When he was in high school, he joined a band called The Vegas Kings, in which he played the bass guitar. He eventually became the lead singer of this band, which changed its name to Ronnie & The Rumblers and finally to Ronnie And The Red Caps. Their first 7-inch single was released in 1958 on Reb Records under the name Ronnie & The Redcaps. Its A-side, 'Lover' still had Billy DeWolfe on vocals but Dio's voice can be heard clearly in the back. The B-side, 'Conquest' is an instrumental in the style of the Ventures, featuring Dio on trumpet.
Dio graduated from the Cortland City School in 1960, and was inducted to the Cortland City School Hall of Fame in 2004. He was also honored on November 15, 1988 by his hometown naming a street after him, Dio Way.
During a performance at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien, NY (near Buffalo, NY) on September 19, 2007, Dio revealed that he had attended the University at Buffalo, majoring in pharmacy. He attended from 1960 to 1961 but did not graduate. He formed one of his early bands during his freshman year.
He was offered a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music but did not pursue it due to his interest in rock music. Despite being known for his powerful singing voice, Dio claims never to have taken any vocal training. He attributes his singing ability to the correct breathing techniques he learned when playing the French horn as a child.
Musical career
Dio's musical career began in 1957 when several Cortland, New York musicians formed the band The Vegas Kings, which soon changed their name to Ronnie and the Rumblers. This band's lineup had Padavona on the bass guitar, along with singer Billy DeWolfe, guitarist Nick Pantas, drummer Tom Rogers, and saxophone player Jack Musci.
In 1958, the band again changed their name, along with a few changes of personnel. The band was now known as Ronnie and the Redcaps. At this point, Padavona began singing, replacing DeWolfe. Musci also left the band, and a new guitarist, Dick Botoff, joined. The Redcaps lineup released two singles: "Lover" b/w "Conquest" (with DeWolfe on vocals on the A-side) on the Reb label, and on Seneca (S 178-102, USA), "An Angel Is Missing" with "What'd I Say" on the B side (both songs featuring Padavona on vocals).
In 1961, they changed their name to Ronnie Dio and The Prophets. The Prophets lineup lasted for quite a long time and produced several singles and one album. Some sources state that some of the single releases were made by Ronnie James Dio solo, but others, such as Dio himself, state that all of the singles were made as a band.
Padavona took up the name "Dio" after mafia member Johnny Dio, and first used it professionally in 1961, when he added it to the band's second release on Seneca. Soon after that the band changed their name to Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. The group released several singles during the following years, until 1967.
Ronnie Dio and the Prophets disbanded in 1967, but he and Prophets guitarist Nick Pantas started a new band called the Electric Elves. They shortened their name to Elf in 1969, and went on to become an opening act for Deep Purple.
Rainbow
Dio's vocals caught the ear of Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, and when Blackmore left the band, he recruited Dio and other members of Elf to form Rainbow. Rainbow released its debut as Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow in 1975. Dio recorded two more classic albums (Rising and Long Live Rock'n'Roll) and the live album On Stage with Rainbow, but he left the band due to creative differences: Blackmore had wanted to take the band in a more commercial direction.
Black Sabbath
In 1979, after leaving Rainbow, Dio joined Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy Osbourne. That line-up released the highly successful Heaven and Hell album in 1980, which revitalized the band's career. They then went on to record Mob Rules with Vinny Appice on drums. Vinnie replaced original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward during the tour for Heaven and Hell due to familiar problems at the time. The album proved less successful than its predecessor, but still a hit. In 1982, disagreements over the mixing of Live Evil led to Ronnie Dio and Vinny Appice quitting the band to form the band Dio. In 1992, Dio briefly returned to Black Sabbath to record Dehumanizer. The album was a minor hit, reaching the Top 40 in the United Kingdom, and #44 on the Billboard 200.
Dio
Wanting to continue together as a band, Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice formed Dio, the band, in 1982. On guitar played Vivian Campbell and on bass Jimmy Bain, the latter whom he had known since the old Rainbow days. Their debut album contained the song Holy Diver and is, apart from being Dio's signature song and a heavy metal classic, an often parodied example of the cliché sword & sorcery lyrics in heavy metal or hard rock. As the band changed members over the years, Dio was the only original member. Except a few breaks, Dio, the band, was always touring or recording and Dio's primary concern. They released 10 albums, with Master Of The Moon being the last one, recorded in 2004. During September 2005, Dio toured Siberia and Russia's far east, kicking off in Khabarovsk. In 2000, Century Media released Holy Dio: Tribute to Ronnie James Dio, an album featuring a number of covers by mainly power metal bands. The last song he recorded with his band was titled "Electra".
Heaven & Hell
In October 2006, it was confirmed that Dio would be joining Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice to tour under the moniker Heaven & Hell, the title of the first Dio era Black Sabbath album. They chose the name Heaven & Hell as Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were still in the Black Sabbath band with Ozzy Osbourne and felt it was best to use a different moniker for the Dio version of the band. Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward was to be involved in this project, but he later withdrew. In 2008 the band completed a 98-date world tour. The band released one album under the Heaven & Hell name, The Devil You Know, to critical and commercial acclaim. They also had planned to release a follow-up in 2010.
Other projects involved
In 1974, Dio sang on the Roger Glover conducted and produced concept album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. Along other guest-singers, the album featured Deep Purple alumni Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale. Dio provided vocals for the songs "Homeward", "Sitting in a Dream" and the UK single "Love is All".
In 1980, Dio sang the tracks "To Live for the King" and "Mask of the Great Deceiver" on Kerry Livgren's solo album Seeds of Change. Dio, who was between stints as singer for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and Black Sabbath, later proved somewhat controversial among Livgren's Christian fans, as Black Sabbath and Dio were then perceived as "satanic" by many Christians. Dio said in an interview that he did not consider the album to be a "Christian" album and had performed on it as a favor to Livgren.
In 1985, Dio gave the world a metallic answer to Band Aid and USA for Africa within the Hear'n Aid project. With a heavy metal all-star ensemble, he released the single "Stars" and an album full of songs from other artists given to charity. The project raised $1 million within a year.
In 1997, Dio made a cameo on Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, an album of famous heavy metal songs played in big band style. Dio can be heard singing backup on Boone's take of "Holy Diver".
Tenacious D has written a tribute song entitled "Dio" that appears on their self-titled album, Tenacious D, that calls for the singer to "pass the torch" on to them. Reportedly, Dio approved of it, and had Tenacious D appear in his video "Push" from Killing The Dragon in 2002. He also appeared in the film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, playing himself. He plays a small role at the beginning of the movie, where Lil' JB, played by Troy Gentile, is angry because his father, played by Meat Loaf, won't let him play rock because he thinks it's the devil's music. Lil' JB then prays to a poster of Dio to help him out. Dio comes to life and urges him in song to "leave his oppressive neighborhood" and head to Hollywood. However, on VH1, some have interpreted small clips of an interview with him as expressing resentment at the idea that he needs to "pass the torch" and seemed uncertain that Tenacious D is worthy of such an honor. When viewed in full, this interview is clearly done in good humor.
In 2005, Dio was revealed to be the voice behind Dr. X in Operation: Mindcrime II, the sequel to Queensrÿche's seminal concept album Operation: Mindcrime. His part was shown in a prerecorded video on the subsequent tour, and Ronnie appeared onstage to sing the part live on at least one occasion (both shown on the Mindcrime at the Moore DVD).
On January 17, 2007, he was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame at Guitar Center on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard.
Personal Life
Dio and his first wife, Loretta Berardi (born 1941), adopted a son, Dan.
After divorcing Berardi, he married Wendy Galaxiola (born 1945), who also served as his manager. In the 1980s she managed the Los Angeles rock bands Rough Cutt and Hellion. She is the chair of the privately sponsored organization, Children of the Night, dedicated to rescuing America's children from prostitution. Dio remained married to Galaxiola until his death.
Cancer and death
On November 25, 2009, Wendy announced that Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer:
"Ronnie has been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer. We are starting treatment immediately at the Mayo Clinic. After he kills this dragon, Ronnie will be back on stage, where he belongs, doing what he loves best, performing for his fans. Long live rock and roll, long live Ronnie James Dio. Thanks to all the friends and fans from all over the world that have sent well wishes. This has really helped to keep his spirit up."
On March 14, 2010, Wendy posted an online update on his condition:
"It has been Ronnie's 7th chemo, another cat scan and another endoscopy, and the results are good – the main tumour has shrunk considerably, and our visits to Houston (cancer clinic in Texas) are now every three weeks instead of every two weeks."
On May 4, 2010, Heaven and Hell announced they were cancelling all summer dates as a result of Dio's ill health.
Dio died at 7:45 am (CDT) on May 16, 2010, according to official sources.
Wendy said on Dio's official site:
"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."
A free public memorial service was held on May 30, 2010 at 2 p.m. at The Hall Of Liberty, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles. The hall was filled with over 1,500 people, so the remainder of the fans had to sit outside of the hall and watch from a live screen. Friends, family, and former and current bandmates of Dio's gave speeches and performed, including Rudy Sarzo, John Payne, Glenn Hughes, Joey Belladonna & Dio/Heaven & Hell keyboard player Scott Warren. On the screen was an accompanying documentary covering Dio's career, from his beginnings in Elf to his final project Heaven and Hell. Everybody who attended had the opportunity to view Dio's coffin. The Westboro Baptist Church did hold a small rally, denouncing Dio as worshiping Satan. Wendy Dio urged those attending the funeral to ignore the protest, saying:
"Ronnie hates prejudice and violence. We need to turn the other cheek on these people that only know how to hate someone they didn't know. We only know how to love someone we know!"
The main stage at metal festival Bloodstock Open Air will be renamed the Ronnie James Dio Stage and the 2nd Stage at the Download Festival will also be renamed the Ronnie James Dio Stage in a tribute to Dio.
Legacy
Dio's career spanned six decades, from 1957 to 2010. During this period, and particularly in the 21st century, he received a number of distinctions and awards. He was inducted to the Cortland City Hall of Fame in 2004, and also has a street named after him called Dio Way in Cortland, NY. Classic Rock Magazine awarded Dio with the "Metal Guru Award" at their yearly "Roll Of Honour" awards ceremony in 2006. On January 17, 2007, Dio was inducted into Guitar Center's Rock Walk of Fame in Hollywood, CA. Dio was named "Best Metal Singer" at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in April 2010 for his work on The Devil You Know, making him the oldest recipient of this award (67). He accepted the award in person at what was to be his final public appearance, less than one month before his death.
The Devil Horns
During his days with Black Sabbath, Dio established his signature hand-sign, the "devil horns". He says that his grandmother used to make the hand gesture to ward off the evil eye, which is very common among superstitious Southern Italians. The "horns" or "corna" themselves are used both to scare away and give someone the "malocchio" (the Evil Eye). He also stated that, as Ozzy often made the peace sign during shows, Dio did not want to be seen as copying him, so used the sign instead. Dio was not the first to use the "horns sign". The band Coven used it on all their record albums and on stage as well going back to 1968.[citation needed] Parliament-Funkadelic also used the "horns sign" regularly, as seen in many promo shots, album art work and concerts in the 1970s. Dio is, however, credited as being the one who popularized it amongs rock and metal fans.
Discography
Rainbow
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975) UK Silver
Rising (1976) UK Gold
On Stage (1977) UK Silver
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978) UK Silver
Finyl Vinyl (1986)
Live in Germany 1976 (1990)
Ritchie Blackmore: Rock Profile Volume Two (1991)
Live In Munich 1977 (2006)
Deutschland Tournee 1976 (2006)
Live In Cologne (2007)
Live In Düsseldorf (2007)
Live In Nurnberg (2007)
The Polydor Years: 1975-1986 (2007)
Black Sabbath
Heaven and Hell (1980) US Platinum UK Gold
Black And Blue (VHS) (1980)
Heavy Metal: Music from the Motion Picture (1981) (One track, an alternate take of "The Mob Rules")
Mob Rules (1981) US Gold UK Silver
Live Evil (1982)
Dehumanizer (1992)
Black Sabbath: The Dio Years (2007)
Live at Hammersmith Odeon (2007)
The Rules of Hell (Boxed Set) (2008)
Holy Diver (1983) US Platinum UK Silver
The Last in Line (1984) US Platinum UK Silver
Sacred Heart (1985) US Gold
Intermission (1986)
Dream Evil (1987)
Lock up the Wolves (1990)
Dio - Sacred Heart: The DVD (1991)
Diamonds – The Best of Dio
Strange Highways (1994)
Angry Machines (1996)
Inferno - Last in Live (1998)
Magica (2000)
The Very Beast of Dio (2000) US Gold
Killing the Dragon (2002)
Master of the Moon (2004)
We Rock ~ Dio (DVD 2005)
Evil or Divine - Live In New York City (2005)
Holy Diver - Live (2006)
Guest appearances
Bobby Comstock And The Counts: "Run My Heart" 7" Single (1963)
Austin Gravelding: Self Made Man (1970)
Roger Glover: Butterfly Ball (1974)
David Coverdale: Northwinds (1978)
Kerry Livgren: Seeds of Change (1980)
Heaven: Where Angels Fear to Tread (1983)
Rough Cutt: Rough Cutt (1984)
Hear 'n Aid: Hear 'n Aid (1986)
Eddie Hardin & Guests: Wizard's Convention (1994)
Dog Eat Dog: Play Games (1996)
Munetaka Higuchi With Dream Castle: Free World (1997)
Pat Boone: In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy (1998)
Various Artists: Humanary Stew: A tribute to Alice Cooper (1999)
Various Artists: Not The Same Old Song And Dance: A Tribute to Aerosmith (1999)
Deep Purple: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (1999)
Deep Purple: Live at the Rotterdam Ahoy (2001)
Deep Purple: The Soundboard Series (2001)
Kerry Livgren: The Best of Kerry Livgren (2002)
Eddie Ojeda: Axes 2 Axes (2005)
Ian Gillan: Gillan's Inn (2006)
Queensrÿche: Operation: Mindcrime II (2006)
Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Queensrÿche: Mindcrime at the Moore (2007)
Girlschool: Legacy (2008)
Various Artists: We Wish you a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year (2008)
David "Rock" Feinstein: Bitten By The Beast (2010)
The Rods: Forthcoming album (2010)
Heaven and Hell
Live from Radio City Music Hall (2007)
The Devil You Know (2009)
