Dio
Formed: 1982
From:
New York City,
NY,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Latest Dio News
Below is our complete Dio news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
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Site Update
An Open Letter To Our Readers
On Sunday morning, May 16th at 2:20 AM ET, two of our staff reported that Ronnie James Dio had passed away. These reports turned out to be premature and at the time false, said to be a “viral hoax” by many. Many readers expressed outrage and disappointment that we would post such unfounded news, and I am here to offer my apologies for the unfounded reports and make clear our official stance on such tricky situations.
As I've stated before, it's a narrow line to walk between reporting the news in a timely manner and assuring its credibility when it comes to certain situations such as this one. But in a case such as the death of an icon and hero to many, we should have erred on the side of caution. On the other hand, I am not opposed to making mention of rumors or unconfirmed reports in the effort to get you news first, as long as those reports are explicitly identified as such. Unfortunately, our late-night reports of Dio's death were posted as unqualified truths, despite being based on unnamed sources, many or few.
Unfortunately, it was not just a viral hoax, but appears to be more of a premature leak as to the graveness of Dio's condition. This fact, that we posted a correction, or the fact that Ronnie James Dio died later this same morning has no impact on the correctness or wrongness of our initial reports, however.
Within minutes of the posting, Metalunderground.com was flooded with visitors and became unstable, making it difficult to properly update the articles or post follow-ups. When I got word that Dio's death had been confirmed, Dio's official web site itself was down due to traffic. Once I confirmed the information, it took me nearly an hour to get the article posted through the server instability and even longer to update the original articles with that information, leading people to then complain that he had passed away and we were saying he hadn't. So despite the initial mistake, we were faced with challenges throughout the day in getting the correct information out to the public even once it was confirmed.
Metalunderground.com has grown tremendously in the past few years and I realize many people trust us to provide accurate and timely news and reporting on the metal scene. I apologize to those of you who feel that your trust was violated by our unconfirmed story of such incredible weight and importance, and I assure you that we are taking steps so that what happened today will be less likely to happen in the future. I cannot claim it will never happen, as there are many factors that play into such a mistake, but we have all learned from today's experience and will do our best to not repeat it.
I am establishing a more formal process for posting breaking and/or sensitive news so that we can convey our message in a more clear and accurate manner in the future. I have never been one for sensationalizing news in the first place, and certainly do not wish to mislead our readers in any way, as building a credible news site has been a priority of mine from day one.
I hope you'll consider our position and this apology in your decision to continue relying on Metalunderground.com for the latest metal news and commentary.
While I feel the sad news of Dio's passing totally eclipses these issues of yesterday, I wanted to address them nonetheless to let our readers know that we take our responsibilities here very seriously and have not simply swept the mistakes under the carpet and ignored those who expressed concern or anger over our initial premature reports.
Sincerely,
Doug
R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio.
Download To Rename Second Stage After Dio
The organisers of Britain's Download Festival has announced that they will be renaming the second stage of this year's event and that it will now be known as the Ronnie James Dio Stage. The organisers posted the following message online:
"The rock world was in a state of shock last night (Sunday), when it was announced that Ronnie James Dio, one of the finest vocalists ever to walk the earth sadly passed away.
"The legendary singer, who fronted bands including Black Sabbath and Dio, had been battling with stomach cancer since the end of 2009. More...
Dream Theater And More Pay Tribute To Dio
As the tributes from fans, friends and critics alike pour in, more contemporaries of Ronnie James Dio have spoken about the man, his music and his legacy. You can read some more tributes below.
Exodus' Gary Holt - "What more can be said about Ronnie that hasn't been said by so many others. He was the kindest, most humble metal god I've ever had the pleasure and honor of touring with. I first met him at Foundations forum, about two to three weeks before our tour with them during the Dehumanizer tour, for about ten minutes while he waited outside for his cab. I introduced myself, said it was an all time honor to meet and tour with him and said see you soon. Fast forward to the first day of the tour, and he sees me and says "How are you doing Gary?". I would not have been offended if he never knew my name the whole tour, but he remembered it from a ten minute chat around three weeks earlier. We had many golden moments hanging out with him, while he allowed me to relentlessly badger him for stories about Ritchie Blackmore and the time spent singing for my favorite band, Rainbow. R.I.P., your impact on me won't ever be forgotten." More...
Kiss, Motley Crue And More Remember Dio
More members of the hard rock and heavy metal community have posted their messages online to pay tribute to the legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, who sadly passed away yesterday morning as a result of stomach cancer. You can read some more of these messages below.
Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx: "I still have this image of him standing on stage in front of 100,000 belting out 'Man On The Silver Mountain' and remember the shivers it sent up my spine. He's one of the kindest souls I have ever met and his talent was beyond inspirational to so many of us. Those of us that had the opportunity to know Ronnie can tell you what a wonderful and passionate man he was."
KISS: "We mourn the tragic passing of the great Ronnie James Dio. In addition to his powerhouse vocal ability, Ronnie was a true gentleman who always emanated great warmth and friendship to us and everyone around him. We will miss him." More...
Tony Iommi Speaks On Ronnie Dio's Passing
Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell guitarist Tony Iommi has posted a message online regarding the death of his bandmate Ronnie James Dio, who passed away yesterday morning in Los Angeles from stomach cancer. Iommi's message reads as follows:
"Yesterday 16th May my dear, dear friend Ronnie James Dio passed away at 7.45am LA time. I’ve been in total shock I just can’t believe he’s gone. Ronnie was one of the nicest people you could ever meet, we had some fantastic times together. Ronnie loved what he did, making music and performing on stage. He loved his fans so much. He was a kind man and would put himself out to help others. I can honestly say it’s truly been an honor to play at his side for all these years, his music will live on forever. Our thoughts are with Wendy Dio who stood by Ronnie until the end, he loved her very much. The man with the magic voice is a star amongst stars, a true professional. I’ll miss you so much my dear friend."
Dio's Last Interview Posted Online
The very last video interview with Ronnie James Dio has been posted online via YouTube. You can check it out below. Ronnie James Dio sadly passed away yesterday from stomach cancer at the age of 67. More...
Ozzy, Slash And More Remember Ronnie Dio
As the tragic news of the death of heavy metal cornerstone Ronnie James Dio is sinking into the hearts of fans, many other musicians in the field of heavy metal and hard rock have posted messages online remembering the man and his music. Some more of which include the likes of Anthrax, Slash and even Dios Black Sabbath predacessor Ozzy Osbourne.
Ozzy Osbourne - "Rest in peace Ronnie"
Slash (Velvet Revolver, ex-Guns N' Roses): "Ronnie died at 7:45am this morning, but his music will live for eternity."
Anthrax: "Dio, Italian for God. Words won't do the man justice so we won't even try. Horns up always!"
Sebastian Bach: "Crying right now in remembrance of my hero and friend Ronnie James Dio. Dio died this morning and he was a major, major part of my life. I got to do shows with him and work with him and I loved Dio my whole life. Thanks so much the world has lost one of the best. Your last album was your best. Of course" More...
More Heavy Metal/Rock Legends Remember Dio
More members of the heavy metal and hard rock community have spoken about the passing of heavy metal icon, Ronnie James Dio, including Ritchie Blackmore, who performed with Ronnie in Rainbow. Some of the messages read as follows:
Judas Priest: "We are filled with great sadness at the terrible news about our friend Ronnie James Dio - our condolences and love go to Wendy and Ronnie's family - Ronnie was a wonderful man and will be sorely missed."
Ritchie Blackmore (ex-Deep Purple - thanks ABC News): "Ronnie had a unique and wonderful voice. He will be sadly missed in the rock and roll world,"
Testament: "A true metal legend always in our hearts."
Metallica Issues Letter To Ronnie James Dio
Metallica drummer Lars Ulric has issued the following open letter to the recently deceased Ronnie James Dio:
"Dear Ronnie, I just got off stage in Zagreb. I was met with the news that you've passed on. I'm kind of in shock, but I wanted you to know that you were one of the main reasons I made it onto that stage to begin with. When I first saw you in Elf, opening for Deep Purple in 1975, I was completely blown away by the power in your voice, your presence on stage, your confidence, and the ease with which you seemed to connect to 6000 Danish people and one starry-eyed 11 year old, most of whom were not familiar with Elf's music. The following year, I was so psyched when I heard the results of you joining forces with my favorite guitar player. You guys sounded so right for each other and I instantly became Rainbow's #1 fan in Denmark.
"In the fall of 1976, when you played your first show in Copenhagen, I was literally in the front row and the couple of times we made eye contact you made me feel like the most important person in the world. The news that you guys were staying in town on your day off somehow embedded itself in my brain and I made the pilgrimage to the Plaza Hotel to see if I could somehow grab a picture, an autograph, a moment, anything. A few hours later you came out and were so kind and caring... pictures, autographs and a couple minutes of casual banter. I was on top of the world, inspired and ready for anything. Rainbow came to Copenhagen a couple more times over the next few years and each time you guys blew my mind, and for a good three years were my absolute favorite band on this planet. More...
Redemption Comments On Death Of Dio
California's Redemption has issued the following statement regarding the passing of Ronnie James Dio today:
"I lost a musical hero today, and the news has hit me harder than I thought it would. Ronnie James Dio was one of the first concerts I saw, and Holy Diver one of the first records I bought once I started liking this thing called 'heavy metal.' Over the years, I have seen him perform more than anyone else (with the exception of my friends in Dream Theater, given our tour together!) and the past several times I've seen him with Black Sabbath have been truly phenomenal.
"I was hoping that Ronnie would be able to perform a guest vocal on a future Redemption CD, and the vocal line I had in mind for him was an expression of triumph over cancer. Obviously, this takes on a horrible irony now. And given my own diagnosis, obviously I'm particularly attuned to what Ronnie endured. My thoughts and prayers go out to Ronnie's family and friends. The world of heavy metal has lost its voice. Rest in peace, Ronnie."
Breaking News
Ronnie James Dio Dies At Age 67
The rumors have now been confirmed. Ronnie James Dio died this morning at 7:45am, as confirmed by his wife, Wendy who has posted the following message on Ronnie James Dio's official site and official Facebook page:
“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. Wendy”
Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona) lost his battle with stomach cancer and passed away at age 67. Dio made a name for himself when he fronted the Ritchie Blackmore led band Rainbow, who released their first album in 1975. After leaving Rainbow, Dio was asked to replace Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, to which he agreed. With Black Sabbath, he recorded two highly acclaimed studio albums in the form of "Heaven And Hell" and "The Mob Rules." After leaving Black Sabbath, he formed his own self-titled band and became one of the biggest draws in heavy metal during the 1980s.
Dio briefly reunited with Black Sabbath in the early 1990s, releasing the "Dehumanizer" album before leaving once again to concentrate on his own band. Another reunion with Sabbath followed in 2006, this time under the new moniker, Heaven & Hell, reulting the acclaimed album, "The Devil You Know" in 2009.
Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer late last year and the band recently cancelled their tour dates in Europe as a result of Ronnie's health.
The news of Dio's death has also been reported by Blabbermouth.net, who was in touch with Wendy Dio after the premature reports of his death in the early AM hours.
Please check out our "Sunday Old School" feature dedicated to Ronnie James Dio that we ran shortly after the announcement that he had stomach cancer.
Our thoughts go out to Dio's family and friends and metal fans who consider the legendary singer a hero.
Ronnie James Dio IS NOT DEAD
UPDATED: While our initial report may have been premature, Ronnie James Dio did, in fact, pass away at 7:45am this morning.
Please also see our open letter regarding reporting Dio's passing prematurely.
Original article follows:
Blabbermouth.net reports that Ronnie James Dio is NOT DEAD. The news of Ronnie james Dio has just been debunked, supporting that the news originated as a viral hoax. The uncertainty of Dio's health is still to be considered however. Stay posted, we will continue to update his health.
BLABBERMOUTH.NET reached out to Ronnie's wife/manager Wendy Dio, who sent back the following message at approximately 11:35 p.m. PST on Saturday, May 15 / 2:35 a.m. EST on Sunday, May 16:
"I am at the hospital and Ronnie has NOT passed away!!!! He is not doing good, but he is not dead.
"I will let you know if anything changes.
"Thank you for your concern."
Ronnie James Dio Passes Away (Original)
UPDATED AGAIN: It turns out this report was not a "viral hoax," but rather a premature report as to the graveness of Dio's situation. Despite our retraction, Ronnie James Dio did, in fact, pass away at 7:45am this morning.
Please also see our open letter regarding reporting Dio's passing prematurely.
The original article has been restored to an active state for discussion purposes:
Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona) has sadly passed away from his battle with stomach cancer. He was 67 years old. Dio made a name for himself when he fronted the Ritchie Blackmore led band Rainbow, who released their first album in 1975. After leaving Rainbow, Dio was asked to replace Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, to which he agreed. With Black Sabbath, he recorded two highly acclaimed studio albums in the form of "Heaven And Hell" and "The Mob Rules." After leaving Black Sabbath, he formed his own self-titled band and became one of the biggest draws in heavy metal during the 1980s.
Dio briefly reunited with Black Sabbath in the early 1990s, releasing the "Dehumanizer" album before leaving once again to concentrate on his own band. Another reunion with Sabbath followed in 2006, this time under the new moniker, Heaven & Hell, reulting the acclaimed album, "The Devil You Know" in 2009. The band recently cancelled their tour dates in Europe as a result of Ronnie's health.
Column
The Rockstar Ramblings: Video Marathon
Thoughts while watching a video marathon and wondering whether Rob Halford decided to put tattoos on his skull before or after he shaved his head…
Production meeting prior to making the Dio video “Holy Diver”: Okay, so we need an abandoned church, an active steel mill, and a very large sword. Behind the Music: The Dio video props department…
In Guns N Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” Axl is getting off a bus with a very large suitcase. In Whitesnake’s “Is This Love” video Tawny Kitaen packs four pieces of lingerie into a large suitcase. Anyone interested to know the contents (or what for fictional purposes is supposed to be contained in their luggage)? I’m going to go with Hit Parader and Circus magazines for Axl and a pair of Bret Michaels (Poison) jeans for Kitaen. This mystery is right there with what is inside the briefcase from Pulp Fiction...While on the subject of “Jungle”, is Duff ever going to bring back the Bill Walton seventies style headband? I believe I speak for many when I say: I hope so… More...
Download a Free Eagle/Armoury Records Compilation
While we're announcing free label samplers on Amazon.com, Eagle/Armoury Records has one up there as well, apparently from 2009. Here's the tracklisting of their free metal and hard rock compilation, which looks to contain a lot more vintage material than the other samplers, including Dio, Rainbow, Deep Purple and more:
1. Black Label Society "Suicide Messiah" (5:47)
2. Deep Purple "Rapture Of The Deep" (5:55)
3. Stratovarius "Deep Unknown" (4:26)
4. Alice Cooper "Detroit City" (3:57)
5. Dio "Holy Diver" (4:46)
6. Napalm Death "Breed To Breathe" [Explicit] (2:59)
7. Twisted Sister "Stay Hungry" (3:13)
8. Poison "Look What The Cat Dragged In" [Explicit] (3:15)
9. Rainbow "Kill The King" (4:39)
10. Black Label Society "Doomsday Jesus" (3:30)
You can download the free compilation here.
Dio Comments On Prosthetic Charity Auction
Prosthetic Records is currently auctioning an Epiphone Prophecy Futura Custom EX on eBay, with all proceeds benefitting the T.J. Martell Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports research for cancer, AIDS and leukemia. The guitar will be signed by the six Prosthetic acts who will play the label's inaugural SXSW showcase at Mohawk in Austin, Texas on Wednesday night (Mar. 17): Scale The Summit, Landmine Marathon, Withered, Book of Black Earth, The Funeral Pyre and Clinging To The Trees of a Forest Fire.
The T.J. Martell Foundation was recommended to Prosthetic by the management of legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer late last year. A 501(c)3 non-profit founded in the 1970s, the Foundation has helped Dio receive key treatment in his
ongoing battle against cancer. More information on the organization can be found at www.tjmartellfoundation.org.
Prosthetic was honored to receive these words of encouragement directly from Dio himself shortly after the auction went live on Monday:
"It's great to be a part of your wonderful charitable event, and all the caring performers who are giving of themselves to aid the charity of my choice. My current misfortune has opened my eyes to the constant need for funds to battle the ravages of cancer, and I am therefore pleased to endorse your efforts to auction off an Epiphone guitar signed by the aforementioned musicians to benefit the T.J.Martell Cancer Foundation. Let's hope a generous amount of money can be raised for this ultra-worthy cause. Thanks so much for you concern and humanity. It's a gesture of kindness I will never forget.
Love and Magic to you all,
Ronnie James Dio"
Interested parties can bid on the auction or learn more about the
guitar here.
Dio Checks In With New Health Update
Wendy Dio has issued the following new health update about Ronnie James Dio, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer:
"Well, now it has been Ronnie’s 7th chemo, another cat scan and another endoscopy, and the results are good – the main tumor has shrunk considerably, and our visits to Houston are now every three weeks instead of every two weeks.
"Ronnie and Vinny went down to the studio to have a listen and see how the DVD is coming along, NOT to overdub anything as presumed by Hoss2112 or Shattered 73 on the Blabbermouth rants. I was very annoyed to read these comments, and if they were truly fans of Ronnie’s, they would know #1) that Ronnie is a SINGER and does not need to overdub a live show, and #2) He would never cheat his fans by overdubbing a Live DVD. I will not be showing these comments to Ronnie, as I know they would hurt and upset him as they did me. He has been going to the REHEARSAL studio to sing, not the recording studio!
"Ronnie’s cousin Rock (from The Rods, who used to be in Elf with him) flew in from New York to visit Ronnie for a week and they enjoyed spending some time together, going to the movies and taking walks, and Ronnie and Rock went to the studio to master Rock’s new album, which Ronnie sings a track on. And Craig Goldy will be coming over to start writing new songs with Ronnie next week. It will be great to see him again, as he has been away touring with the British band Budgie.
"That’s all I can think of right now until the next update. God bless you all and we are still reading all the wonderful cards and letters."
Dio Issues New Health Update
Wendy Dio has issued the following health update about Ronnie James Dio, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer:
"Since my last update, we have been back and forth to Houston three times for tests and chemo treatments, an emergency run to St. Joseph’s for another blood clot, an ultrasound and another cat scan. We met with Dr. Ajani, Ronnie’s oncologist, on Monday, and he was very pleased with the treatment so far. Some tumors have gone and some have shrunk. He says we have a long road to travel, but we are on the right path. Going back and forth to Houston is getting old, with all the canceled and delayed flights and some of the rude Continental staff, the same boring food at the hotel (I think we have eaten everything on their horrible menu!), but…when we get a good report from the doctor, it is all worth it. The only food Ronnie says he can taste is Indian curry; everything tastes like metal (HEAVY metal?) because of the chemo. We did, however, have a nice breakfast with Carmen and his mother on Friday. He is still waiting for his bone marrow transplant.
"I am so sorry if I have upset any of our friends for not returning calls or emails, but please understand that it is so draining for me to go over and over to everyone about Ronnie’s progress. This is why I thought that if I wrote an update once a month, everyone can know of Ronnie’s progress at the same time. The Fan Club just delivered a huge sack of mail, and we have been reading all the wonderful cards and letters you have all sent. Thank you all so much – it keeps our spirits up knowing you all love Ronnie so much and wish him well. Ronnie and I have a great support system: Simon, who does so much; Geezer and Gloria (she has been my strength, everyday she listens to me, whether I am happy or not); Sheila and Jacqui, friends for 25 years who would go anywhere or do anything for Ronnie or I; Mike Carden, a cancer survivor who is always available to talk to; Rudy, Vinny, Doug, Scott, Big Scott, Lois and Wyn; my colleagues at work – Marchele, Lynne, Carmen, Anthony and Diana; Dr. Mena, Dr. Chu and our wonderful Dr. Kapoor, who is available 24/7 for us and spent his whole Sunday day off with us at the emergency room, and of course Dr. Ajani, who mixes his magic cocktail of chemo and gives us hope. More...
Dio Gives Health Update
Wendy Dio has issued the following health update about Ronnie James Dio, who was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer:
"After a few hiccups between Christmas and New Year’s, such as a blood clot, a trip to the emergency room, and a three day stay at the hospital, we had a quiet holiday spent with family and close friends. Ronnie and I just returned from Houston, where Ronnie had his third chemo treatment, and all seems to be going well. Ronnie and Simon Wright went to see Avatar, which he thought was amazing! He has also been writing more chapters for his book.
"While at M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre on his second trip, he met a DIO fan named Carmen who has been having treatment every other day for a year, and is eagerly awaiting a bone marrow transplant. Ronnie and Carmen have become fast friends. Carmen is a very positive happy person whose existence, like Ronnie’s, depends heavily on music and sports. On the third trip, we also met his mom and sister, whose total support is so important to all cancer patients. They have become part of our family as well.
"The support we get from all of our friends and fans is such a blessing to Ronnie and I.
Ronnie, Geezer, Tony and Vinny will be doing some interviews in the upcoming weeks to be included in the new 30th anniversary Heaven and Hell DVD due out sometime this year. More...
Dio Thanks Fans For Their Support
As was previously reported, Ronnie James Dio has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. Dio has now issued the following statement thanking fans for their support:
"Happy holidays everyone, I'd like to take the time to thank everyone for the most wonderful gifts I have ever received. The list includes your good wishes, your prayers, your support, your tears and laughter, your anger and rejoicing, and most of all the unwavering love you've bestowed upon me.
"I guess I've always felt that we were one person and that you've allowed me to be our spokesman, but until this time of my greatest peril the truth was perhaps slightly hidden. It is hidden no more. Together we shall face the foe and live on to climb higher mountains and explore greater magic. Together we cannot fail. Please accept my never ending love and dedication to you all.
"So it is written, and so it shall be."
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