Long Live His Rock 'n' Roll
Ronnie James Dio (1942 - 2010)
"Sing me a song, you're a singer..."
On May 16th 2010 rock and metal singer Ronnie James Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer.
Ronnie James Dio was one of the true greats as regards longevity in his trade.
He delivered consistently solid performances in heavy rock and metal with the likes of Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his own Dio band for five decades.
After a number of bands in the late '50s and '60s Dio's first name band in rock were Elf, who would later support Deep Purple.
When Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore formed Rainbow he recruited Dio (and other Elf members) and the singer went on to feature on three studio albums with Rainbow as well as a number of live releases.
Rainbow Rising from 1976 is, for many fans and music critics, a true rock classic and the album I and many others will always associate with Ronnie James Dio.
As an aside, the same goes for another late and great singer, Brad Delp, and his legacy as part of a genuine rock classic, Boston's debut album (also from 1976).
After Rainbow, Dio succeeded in what many fans felt to be an impossible task.
In 1979 he not only replaced the seemingly irreplaceable Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, he helped Sabbath stay on the metal map with album's such as Heaven and Hell (one of the band's most successful records) and Mob Rules.
The singer left the group in 1982 but reunited with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice to record the Black Sabbath album Dehumanizer in 1992.
Ronnie James Dio also had his own lengthy solo career, and released over a dozen albums including live releases under the Dio moniker.
Ronnie James Dio (1942 - 2010)
"Sing me a song, you're a singer..."
On May 16th 2010 rock and metal singer Ronnie James Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer.
Ronnie James Dio was one of the true greats as regards longevity in his trade.
He delivered consistently solid performances in heavy rock and metal with the likes of Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his own Dio band for five decades.
After a number of bands in the late '50s and '60s Dio's first name band in rock were Elf, who would later support Deep Purple.
When Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore formed Rainbow he recruited Dio (and other Elf members) and the singer went on to feature on three studio albums with Rainbow as well as a number of live releases.
Rainbow Rising from 1976 is, for many fans and music critics, a true rock classic and the album I and many others will always associate with Ronnie James Dio.
As an aside, the same goes for another late and great singer, Brad Delp, and his legacy as part of a genuine rock classic, Boston's debut album (also from 1976).
After Rainbow, Dio succeeded in what many fans felt to be an impossible task.
In 1979 he not only replaced the seemingly irreplaceable Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, he helped Sabbath stay on the metal map with album's such as Heaven and Hell (one of the band's most successful records) and Mob Rules.
The singer left the group in 1982 but reunited with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice to record the Black Sabbath album Dehumanizer in 1992.
Ronnie James Dio also had his own lengthy solo career, and released over a dozen albums including live releases under the Dio moniker.
Ronnie James Dio in his natural environment - on stage, playing to
a crowd, microphone in hand and trademark "devil horns" salute.
In 2006 Dio, Iommi, Butler and Appice reunited to record three new songs for a compilation album.
They then headed out on a hugely successful world tour through 2007 and 2008.
Performing and recording as Heaven & Hell, they released a studio album, The Devil You Know, in 2009.
Dio was still working with Heaven & Hell until he took ill, and they were to be a featured band at the 2010 High Voltage Festival in London.
Sadly, it was not to be.
I was not a huge fan of a large body of his work, especially the more metal-based solo career and the Dungeons & Dragons style of many of those releases, but I was always a great fan of his voice.
I heard some shows from the Heaven & Hell tour and a friend of mine later bought me a copy of the Live DVD as he felt I would appreciate the performance, if not every musical note.
He was absolutely right.
Even in his sixties, Ronnie James Dio produced a strength in his pipes that many singers half, or a third, his age, could not and will not match.
Ronnie James Dio didn't live long enough for his family, friends and fans.
But Long Live his Rock 'n' Roll.
a crowd, microphone in hand and trademark "devil horns" salute.
In 2006 Dio, Iommi, Butler and Appice reunited to record three new songs for a compilation album.
They then headed out on a hugely successful world tour through 2007 and 2008.
Performing and recording as Heaven & Hell, they released a studio album, The Devil You Know, in 2009.
Dio was still working with Heaven & Hell until he took ill, and they were to be a featured band at the 2010 High Voltage Festival in London.
Sadly, it was not to be.
I was not a huge fan of a large body of his work, especially the more metal-based solo career and the Dungeons & Dragons style of many of those releases, but I was always a great fan of his voice.
I heard some shows from the Heaven & Hell tour and a friend of mine later bought me a copy of the Live DVD as he felt I would appreciate the performance, if not every musical note.
He was absolutely right.
Even in his sixties, Ronnie James Dio produced a strength in his pipes that many singers half, or a third, his age, could not and will not match.
Ronnie James Dio didn't live long enough for his family, friends and fans.
But Long Live his Rock 'n' Roll.
Ross Muir
May 2010
The audio track 'Long Live Rock 'n' Roll' (Rainbow, 1978) is presented to accompany this article and in tribute to the memory of Ronnie James Dio.
No infringement of copyright is intended.
Photo Credit: Sandro Campardo
May 2010
The audio track 'Long Live Rock 'n' Roll' (Rainbow, 1978) is presented to accompany this article and in tribute to the memory of Ronnie James Dio.
No infringement of copyright is intended.
Photo Credit: Sandro Campardo
