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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Dio Gives Health Update
As was previously reported, Ronnie James Dio has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. Wendy Dio has issued the following update about Ronnie's first chemotherapy treatment:
"Well, it has been a very exhausting month – after all the never ending tests in Los Angeles, we flew to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and as soon as we arrived, we got a call from the MD Anderson Hospital that they had an appointment for us with the doctor we originally wanted, so we then flew to Houston to the clinic, and of course MORE tests, but Ronnie finished receiving his first chemo treatment on Wednesday, and all is going very well.
"I would like to thank Tony Martell from the T.J. Martell Foundation, Dr. Stuart Aaronson from Mount Sinai, Lindsay Brown and Mike Carden from Eagle Records, and our very own Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, for all your help in getting us into MD Anderson, and also our friends Geezer and Gloria Butler, who flew to Houston to be with Ronnie while he had his chemo.
"Ronnie and I are totally overwhelmed by the amount of well wishes that we have received from friends and fans - we are reading them all. Some make us laugh, some make us cry, but all of them are so filled with love that it gives us so much support and makes Ronnie even more determined to fight this battle and win. Thank you all for the positive energy and prayers."
Column
Sunday Old School: Ronnie James Dio
Since my first “real” news posting had to do with the unfortunate news of Ronnie James Dio's stomach cancer, I thought it might make some karmic sense if my first Sunday Old School posting had something to do with the the remarkable frontman.
I suspect a lot of people my age (36 years young) are like me in that the first time they ever heard of Dio was in seeing the phrase “OZZY RULES! DIO DROOLS!” scrawled on a wooden desk in junior high or high school. That's naturally a reference to the fact that Dio had replaced Ozzy Osbourne as the singer for Black Sabbath, following Ozzy's firing in 1979.
Dio would serve as Sabbath's lead vocalist on the seminal albums “Heaven & Hell,” “Mob Rules” and “Live Evil” before parting ways with Sabbath until 1991 when he rejoined the band for “Dehumanizer.” Another parting of the ways lasted until 2006, when his version of Sabbath reformed under the moniker Heaven & Hell and recorded new tracks for a greatest hits CD, as well as “Live from Radio City Music Hall” in 2007, and a new studio album, “The Devil You Know” in 2009.
Beginning with 1983's “Holy Diver,” he racked up plenty of album sales and accolades with his own band, Dio.
But there's an important chapter of Dio's professional career that seems to get at best a cursory glance among a lot of metalheads I know, which is unfortunate, because it seems to me to be very much a transformative time for one of metal's most powerful vocalists.
I am, of course, talking about his time in Rainbow, the post-Deep Purple band formed by guitar-god Ritchie Blackmore in the mid-1970s.
Blackmore had departed Deep Purple after arguments about the more “funky” direction that singer David Coverdale and bassist Glenn Hughes were taking the band in. In search of a new singer and band, he didn't have to look far.
Elf, which featured Dio on vocals, had been touring as a supporting act for Deep Purple. Blackmore essentially grafted himself into the band, renaming it and collaborating with Dio to write the tracks for the appropriately named “Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow.”
The song most everyone remembers from that 1975 album is “Man on the Silver Mountain,” with its son-of-“Smoke on the Water” riff and powerful delivery by Dio declaring himself a medieval metal prophet. It's become such a staple in the Dio arsenal that it's easy to forget how much of a milestone it is for the singer. Compare the supernatural lyrics with the somewhat more pedestrian (if equally well-performed) lyrics of tracks like Elf's “Carolina County Ball,” and you'll see what I mean.
That's hardly the only great one, though. The album also features “16th Century Greensleeves,” which would seem to be a precursor to Blackmore's later career, as well as the superb Quartermass cover “Black Sheep of the Family.”
By Rainbow's next album, 1976's “Rising,” Blackmore had fired everyone but Dio from the band and, if you ask me, the replacement keyboardist, Tony Carey and bassist Jimmy Bain (who'd later play with Dio in the 1980s) aren't completely up to snuff. It's this incarnation of Rainbow's weakest album, though tracks like the opener, “Tarot Woman” and the huge 8-minute closer “Stargazer” still hold up well.
The band had a return to glory with 1978's “Long Live Rock 'n' Roll,” which featured bass contributions from future Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath bassist Bob Daisley. The disc, which does feature some of the medieval and experimental sounds featured on the previous two studio albums (a live album, “On Stage,” was released in 1977), there's a surprising amount of pure blues-rock stomp this go-round, especially on the title track. “L.A. Connection” reminds me a bit of the bluesier side of the Doors, while “Sensitive to Light” is just a good-time rocker of the finest sort. Meanwhile, the darker lyrical themes Dio would go on to explore in Sabbath are on full display in the creepy Middle Eastern-sounding “Gates of Babylon.” The album's finest hour, though, comes with the speedy “Kill the King.”
Dio left the band in 1979 following a dispute with Blackmore over the guitarist's desire to take the band in a more “commercial” direction, which he ultimately did with vocalists like Joe Lynn Turner and Graham Bonnet.
If you ask me, though, the Dio era is a golden era for Rainbow, as well as the moment that one of metal's finest discovered his true voice and calling. As I and other metal fans await news of the ailing singer's condition, I take some measure of comfort in his “Man on the Silver Mountain” declaration that “You'll never stop me burning.”
May it be so.
Carolina County Ball (with Elf)
More...
Breaking News
Ronnie James Dio Diagnosed with Stomach Cancer
According to an article posted Nov. 25 on Blabbermouth.net, Ronnie James Dio's wife and manager, Wendy Dio issued a statement that said that the legendary Rainbow and Black Sabbath frontman had been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer. Here's her full statement:
"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.
"Thanks to all the friends and fans around the world that have sent well wishes. This has really helped to keep his spirit up.
"Long Live Rock and Roll, Long Live Ronnie James Dio"
Dio was forced to cancel his European tour last week when he became ill and was hospitalized.
Dio, who rose to fame as the lead singer of Rainbow in the 1970s, is best known for replacing Ozzy Osbourne as the singer for Black Sabbath, and for his work in the 1980s in his own band, Dio.
His albums include "Heaven & Hell" and "Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath, as well as "Holy Diver" with Dio, and many others. His most recent album is "The Devil You Know" with Heaven & Hell — made up of the members of his incarnation of Black Sabbath.
Ronnie James Dio Taken Ill, Cancels European Tour
Dio's European tour has been cancelled after Ronnie was taken ill. "Ronnie has been hospitalized and we are waiting for further news," explains Ronnie's wife/manager, Wendy Dio. No further information is available at this time.
Mob Rules To Support Dio
Germany's Mob Rules have announced they will be supporting Ronnie James Dio on the following three tour dates in December:
12/16/2009 Bremen, Germany Aladin
12/18/2009 Nürnberg, Germany Lowenssal
12/19/2009 Reichenbach, Germany H20
The complete list of upcoming Mob Rules tour dates are as follows: More...
Whitesnake Guitarist Joins Dio For European Tour
Heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio will be joined by Whitesnake's guitarist Doug Aldrich this November and December on his headlining tour of Europe. Aldrich is stepping in for long-time Dio guitarist Craig Goldy, who will be unable to tour with Dio due to a conflicting tour schedule with Welsh heavy metal legends Budgie.
The tour dates are as follows:
November 21 - Glasgow, Scotland - 02 Academy
November 22 - Sheffield, England - 02 Academy
November 24 - London, England - HMV Forum
November 25 - Birmingham, England - O2 Academy
November 27 - Manchester, England - Academy
November 28 - Lincoln, England - Engine Shed
November 30 - Bristol, England - Academy
December 1 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix Hall
December 2 - Tilburg, Holland - 013
December 4 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
December 5 - Bergen, Norway - Peer Gynt
December 7 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Tradgarn
December 8 - Malmo, Sweden - Kulturbolaget
December 9 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser
December 12 - Tampere, Finland - Pakkahoune
December 13 - Helsinki, Finland - Cable Factory
December 16 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin
December 18 - Nürnberg, Germany - Löwensaal
December 19 - Reichenbach, Germany - H2O
December 20 - Münich, Germany - Tonhalle
December 22 - NeuIsenburg, Germany - Hugenottenhalle
Column
The Rockstar Ramblings: A Metal Video Marathon
Jon Bon Jovi alone increased acid washed denim sales by 40 percent. In the videos “Living on a Prayer” and “You Give Love a Bad Name” there are more ass shots of Jon than two years of Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez on TMZ…There is no way the Latin kid playing the drug lord in Motley Crue’s “Dr. Feelgood” rises to the top of the underworld…I always thought it was assumed Poison wore the most spandex until I saw the number of tight changes in David Lee Roth’s “Goin Crazy”…KISS easily has the most body hair of any rock band…The song “You’ve got Another Thing Coming” by Judas Priest takes on different meaning from when I first saw it years ago… More...
Dio Announces U.K. Tour Dates
Heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio will be hitting the roads of Great Britain with his solo band this November. No word has been given who will be part of the band or who the support act(s) will be yet. Stay tuned for more details.
November 21 - Glasgow, Scotland - 02 Academy
November 22 - Sheffield, England - 02 Academy
November 24 - London, England - HMV Forum
November 25 - Birmingham, England - O2 Academy
November 27 - Manchester, England - Academy
November 28 - Lincoln, UK, England - Engine Shed
November 29 - Bristol, UK, England - Academy
Lord Taps Dio and Megadeth Members For New Album
Aussie metallers LORD have revealed the guest musician list of their forthcoming album 'Set In Stone' features members of DIO, ANGRA, HAREM SCAREM, DRAGONLAND, ex-members of MEGADETH and KING DIAMOND and a host of other Australian and international guests.
Commented mainman Lord Tim, "We're absolutely thrilled to finally reveal the special guests we have on our new album. Of the international guests, we have Craig Goldy (DIO), Glen Drover (ex-MEGADETH/ex-KING DIAMOND), Pete Lesperance (HAREM SCAREM/FAIRGROUND), Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA), Olof Morck (DRAGONLAND/AMARANTHE/NIGHTRAGE) and Yoshiyasu Maruyama (ARGUMENT SOUL). From Australia, we have Chris Brooks (solo artist who did guest guitars on our last album ‘Ascendence’), Stu Marshall (PAIN DIVISION/ex-DUNGEON), Chris Porcianko (VANISHING POINT), Juz (ex-DUNGEON), Richie Hausberger (ex-ENTER TWILIGHT), Tania Moran (solo pop artist), and Mark Furze (FALCON ROAD/well-known star of Australian television). Yep, that's a hell of a list! Don't worry, we still left some room on there for actual members of LORD too! The cover art once again was handled by Felipe Machado Franco who was behind the artwork for ICED EARTH, BLAZE BAYLEY, AXEL RUDI PELL, and many more." More...
Dio To Reissue "Killing The Dragon" On Vinyl
Dio has announced that the album "Killing The Dragon" will be re-issued on vinyl. The album will be limited to 500 copies and will be released with a gate-fold pop-up cover, which can be viewed here.
The track listing will be as follows:
Side A:
1. Killing The Dragon
2. Along Comes A Spider
3. Scream
4. Better In The Dark
5. Rock 'N' Roll
Side B:
1. Push
2. Guilty
3. Throw Away Children
4. Before The Fall
5. Cold Feet
New Brutal Legend Trailer Posted Online
A brand new trailer for the forthcoming video game Brutal Legend has been posted online. You can check it out below. The new video game is influenced strongly by heavy metal and stars metal loving actor Jack Black as the main character as well as some of the biggest names in heavy metal including Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, Motorhead mainman Lemmy, metal veteran Lita Ford, the legendary Ronnie James Dio and Ozzy Osbourne, who will play the role of the "Guardian Of Metal." More...
Ronnie James Dio Writing Autobiography
Legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (Dio, Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell, Rainbow and Elf) has revealed that he is the latest metal icon to begin working on his life story. He claims the book will be, "not be centred around myself so much as me telling my life story through the stories of those around me."
"Every time I feel I’m getting halfway there, another halfway comes along,” he says. “But yes, I’m writing it and it’s certainly going to be very, very interesting for people interested in the bands I’ve been in and the people I’ve played with.
"You have to have a focal point, and I guess that had to be me. It’s an autobiography, but within it, I tell the stories that somehow explain a little bit what Ritchie (Blackmore)’s like or Tony (Iommi)’s like or Geezer (Butler)’s like. I don’t analyse them, but just in telling the tales I paint everyone in as good a light as possible. It’s not a tell-all book."
New Brutal Legend Trailer Posted Online
A new trailer for the heavy metal orientated video game, Brutal Legend has been posted online. You can check it out by heading to the game's official website. The game's main character is voiced by heavy metal loving actor Jack Black and also features voiceover apearances from the likes of Ronnie James Dio, Motorhead's iconic mainman Lemmy and the Metal God Rob Halford. The game should be released around the summer time.
Golden Gods Awards Commercial Posted Online
The commercial for the first ever Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards has been posted online. You can check it out below. The commercial features such metal legends as Ronnie James Dio, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul. The show will be held on April 7th in Los Angeles, California and will be hosted by metal loving comedian Brian Posehn. The show will also boast performances from Megadeth and Suicide Silence amongst others. In addition, the ceremony will feature special appearances from the likes of Motorhead mainman Lemmy, WWE Superstar CM Punk, Korn frontman Jonathan Davis and Metalocalypse mastermind Brendon Small among many others. More...
DC4 Enters Skull Seven Studios
Los Angeles based rockers, DC4, featuring Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint, Odin), Rowan Robertson (Dio), Shawn Duncan (Odin), and Matt Duncan, have entered Skull Seven Recording Studio with fame producers Bill Metoyer (W.A.S.P., Slayer, Lizzy Borden, Armored Saint) and Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning) to record additional tracks for the upcoming release of "EXPLODE." The new tracks, "People" and "25 to Life," are currently being recorded and will be part of the new enhanced CD package along with a video and new artwork.
"EXPLODE" will see an official release in January of 2009. Plans for a CD Release Party and tour are currently in the works. Checkout the DC4 performances on Flashrock as well as a band interview at Rocklahoma 2008 here.
Man Assaulted For Singing Dio At Kareoke
Blabbermouth.net reports: According to The Smoking Gun, a 24-year-old Wisconsin man allegedly became so incensed by a lackluster karaoke performance of DIO's classic song "Holy Diver" that he assaulted the singer and a second man, police charge. According to a River Falls Police Department report, Kyle D. Drinkwine throttled singer James Mischler, 28, and his friend Cyrus Kozub, 29, on November 7 "over one's ability to sing karaoke." Though cops did not specify which song set Drinkwine off last week, Kozub told The Smoking Gun that Mischler was performing "Holy Diver". Following the assaults, police apprehended Drinkwine after a short foot chase. A subsequent Breathalyzer test recorded his blood alcohol content at .169, more than twice the state limit.
Kyle D. Drinkwine was charged last Thursday in Pierce County Court with a felony count of aggravated battery and a misdemeanor count of battery. He was released on a $3,000 signature bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing November 19. The charges have a combined maximum penalty of three years in prison.
DC4 Reveals Cover Art For "Explode"
Chavis Records have unveiled the cover artwork for the new DC4 release, "EXPLODE." "EXPLODE" is set to be released in October and features 10 tracks. DC4 features current and former members of Dio, Armored Saint and Odin with Jeff Duncan on vocals/guitar, Rowan Robertson on guitar, Shawn Duncan on drums, and Matt Duncan on bass.
Two tracks from "EXPLODE," "Candy Caine" and "God Complex," can be heard here and Videos of the band, can be found here.
Girlschool Reveals New Album Release Date
Girlschool have announced that their forthcoming new album will be entitled, "Legacy." The album is being released this year to coincide with the bands 30th anniversary. "Legacy" boasts special guest appearances from rock legends such as Lemmy and Phil Campbell of Motorhead, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) and "Fast" Eddie Clarke (Fastway/ex-Motorhead) and is scheduled to be released in October through SPV records.
Big Names Announced For Metal Christmas Album
A new metal christmas album named "Metal Christmas" has been announced which will feature some of the biggest names in heavy metal music taking part with the following tracklisting confirmed:
"Run Rudolph Run"
Vocal/bass: Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD)
Guitar/vocals: Billy F. Gibbons (ZZ TOP)
Drums/vocals: Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS)
"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
Vocal: Alice Cooper
Guitar: John 5 (MARILYN MANSON/ROB ZOMBIE)
Bass: Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG/ NIACIN)
Drums: Vinnie Appice (HEAVEN AND HELL/ BLACK SABBATH)
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
Vocal: Ronnie James Dio
Guitar: Tony Iommi (Heaven And Hell/ Black Sabbath)
Bass: Rudy Sarzo (WHITESNAKE/DIO)
Drums: Simon Wright (AC/DC/DIO) More...
Def Leppard Singer Has Some Words For Ronnie Dio
Blabbermouth.net reports: Vassil Varbanov of Bulgaria's Tangra Mega Rock recently conducted an interview with DEF LEPPARD frontman Joe Elliott. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow.
Tangra Mega Rock: Do you feel something like a clash between the younger rock generations and you guys — I mean in terms of musicians, not the crowd?
Elliott: No. I don't ever feel competitiveness — it's thrown at me by the media. The media are always trying to make you competitive. I've been asked so many times whether we're in competition with WHITESNAKE. No, we're not! Now we're going out on a co-headlining tour as allies. It's as ridiculous as saying the British army is in competition with the American army in Iraq! They're working together for a common goal. What we are trying to achieve is 1 and 1 makes 3. We are a big band, they are a big band, and if we get together, we are bigger. This makes it more of a spectacle. It should be obvious to people that with the state of music business right now, which is just dying on its ass, the only thing that's surviving is live. We've been doing co-headlining tours for four years in the States — BRYAN ADAMS, JOURNEY — in 2005-2006 it worked brilliantly both for us and for those guys. To do it with a British band in Britain and now in Europe was a logical thing to do. You'll see over the next 4-5 years loads of people doing this. We were just the first to do it here. We did it, because in 2004 our booking agency in America had this brainwave to put BOB DYLAN and WILLIE NELSON on the same bill. What happens is that when the baseball season is closed, these massive fields do nothing, so they just suggest, "How about renting them out to the rock'n'roll industry?" This way they get something, and we get to use these fields, which cost a lot less money, so everybody's happy. So BOB DYLAN and WILLIE NELSON did it, and I saw that BOB DYLAN — BOB Fuckin' DYLAN! — is going as an opening act for WILLIE NELSON! And he's ok with this! That's brilliant! That removed all ego from the situation. So then, when we got off with BRYAN ADAMS, we played at baseball stadiums in front of 23-24 thousand people. When we went out with JOURNEY, it was a similar thing. And the same thing last year, with STYX and REO SPEEDWAGON and FOREIGNER. With this one, for the British shows we were going out last. Tonight we'll also be last, but last night in Albania we were first. There's no ego, no competition. I want everybody to be successful! This is not the Olympics! I would love to see the charts full of rock bands again. Back in 1988 there was a little period in the summer in America where any given week there was either us or GUNS N' ROSES or VAN HALEN, and we were keeping people like MARIAH CAREY and WHITNEY HOUSTON out of the charts! I'd be more interested in getting together with these people. If you have to be competitive, try to get rid of rap and R&B, which I don't have anything against, but the way that the industry has tried to shove rock aside only makes it stronger. So I don't feel any competition with any of these bands. The only time that I will say something negative about a band is when I'm just being pissy, because they say something negative about me. If Ronnie James Dio — as he did — said on that YouTube piece when somebody mentioned Vivian [Campbell, DEF LEPPARD guitarist], "I hope he fuckin' dies!" I would just say, "Ronnie James Dio, go fuck yourself!" So if somebody says, "DEF LEPPARD suck!", then I'll just back the ball like in tennis and say, "No, you suck, man!", but generally speaking, I don't have these problems. When people meet me, they normally see something beyond "Let's Get Rocked". Once they get to know us, people start to think differently about us, not just seeing what's on the surface. It's just a matter of communication, and that's the biggest problem this entire planet has — the lack of it."
Read the full article at Tangra Mega Rock.
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