R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio – seven year anniversary of his last concert
R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio – seven year anniversary of his last concert
According to Ronnie James Dio‘s Facebook page, today marks the seventh year anniversary of the legendary singer’s last c0ncert. Ronnie James Dio played his last show as part of Heaven And Hell with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice in Atlantic, New Jersey, USA on August 29, 2009.
Heaven And Hell playing “The Mob Rules” live in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA on August 29, 2009:
Ronnie James Dio’s Final Concert – Aug 29, 2009
This is video from Ronnie James Dio’s final concert ever fronting “Heaven & Hell” (aka the Dio version of Black Sabbath). It was in Atlantic City, NJ on Aug…
RONNIE JAMES DIO
Birth Name: Ronnie James Padavona
Born: July 10, 1942 – Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Died: May 16, 2010 – Houston, Texas
Cause of Death: Stomach cancer
History:
Ronnie James Dio, whose soaring vocals, poetic lyrics and mythic tales of a never-ending struggle between good and evil broke new ground in heavy metal, died of stomach cancer on Sunday, May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.
Dio rose to fame in 1975 as the first lead singer of Rainbow, the heavy metal band put together by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who had just quit Deep Purple.
Dio then replaced legendary vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath in 1980 with the critically acclaimed album Heaven And Hell, considered by many critics to be one of the finest heavy metal albums of all time. His on-again, off-again tenure with Black Sabbath touched off an intense debate among fans as to which singer was the true essence of the band — a discussion that lasted until his death.
He also enjoyed a successful solo career with his self-titled band, Dio, in between his three stints with Black Sabbath (1980-82; 1992; and 2007-2009, when the band toured as Heaven And Hell, to differentiate it from Osbourne-led versions of Sabbath).
Many of his most memorable songs revolved around the struggle between good and evil, including his signature tune “Heaven And Hell.” He also drew heavily on medieval imagery in songs like “Neon Knights,” “Killing The Dragon” and “Stargazer.”
“He possessed one of the greatest voices in all of heavy metal, and had a heart to match it,” said Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French, whose band toured with Dio since 1983, and was to do so again this summer at European rock festivals. “He was the nicest, classiest person you would ever want to meet.”
Dio organized an all-star charity collaboration in 1986 called Hear N’ Aid to raise money for famine relief in Africa, styled on the successful “We Are The World” campaign of a few years earlier.
His solo hits included “Rainbow In The Dark,” “The Last In Line” and “Holy Diver.”