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RIP Ronnie James Dio

Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 11:51 pm
by wadruid
From Metal Underground, posted at 2:16AM EST 5/16/10:

"Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona) has sadly passed away from his battle with stomach cancer. He was 67 years old."

Edit: This was a bad rumor!! It's not true. Sorry.

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 12:09 am
by wadruid
Can someone just delete this thread? Please?

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 12:26 pm
by wadruid
Ok, so now it's been confirmed. Ronnie passed away at 7:45 AM today.

here

"Wendy Dio, wife/manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW), has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. [on Sunday] 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes 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."

R.i.p

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 3:02 pm
by snakebite
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 Sunday, according to a statement from his wife and manager. He was 67.

Dio revealed last summer that he was suffering from stomach cancer shortly after wrapping up a tour in Atlantic City, N.J., with the latest incarnation of Black Sabbath, under the name Heaven And Hell.

"Today my heart is broken," Wendy Dio wrote on the singer's site, adding he died at 7:45 a.m. "Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.

"Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all," Wendy Dio continued. "We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us ... Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

The statement was confirmed by Los Angeles publicist Maureen O'Connor. Dio was being treated at a Houston hospital, according to his site.

Though Dio had recently undergone his seventh chemotherapy treatment, he was hopeful to perform again. Earlier this month, Heaven And Hell canceled its summer tour, but Dio did not view being sidelined as a permanent thing.

"Wendy, my doctors and I have worked so hard to make it happen for all of you, the ones we care so much about, that this setback could be devastating, but we will not let it be," he said in a statement. "With your continued love and support, we ... will carry on and thrive. There will be other tours, more music, more life and much more magic."

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."

___

AP Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody contributed to this story.

___

Online:

http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 3:42 pm
by hodgy
Way to go Dave, your rumor-mongering has killed him.

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 8:21 pm
by wadruid
Thanks Hodgy! Now I really feel bad. :(

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 11:10 pm
by Morbid
Such a sad day... RIP Dio... music will never be the same.

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 7:50 am
by Lou
Damn. Rock-n-roll heaven has another member.

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 11:08 am
by mickey brown-eye
What a bummer! A piece of Metal's soul has perished

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 12:49 pm
by Drew
Fucking horrible news ... RIP Ronnie!

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 6:56 pm
by Morbid
I don't know how I made it through work today... I was so depressed and could not focus.

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 7:12 pm
by LIVE FO RETSINIM
never heard of him.

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:02 pm
by Project Undead Vish
Bummer. He made Sabbath listenable.

Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 4:12 pm
by Drew
I totally forgot about this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZktrrqT1A0

Was organized and run by Ronnie!

Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 7:44 pm
by Chris Slack
It took a couple of days for this to hit me I guess. I knew about it, of course, but didn't think much on it until last night.

I listened to select songs from Rainbow "Rising," Black Sabbath "Heaven and Hell" and followed up (on youtube) with a bunch of his Ronnie Dio doo-wop stuff from the 50s and 60s as well as some Elf stuff. Listening to all of this made me pretty sad but also reminded me that the man was pretty much active in every generation of rock music from it's inception. Hopefully his passing will get him some recognition (albeit a little too late) from people who didn't previously give him credit for all he has done in the world of rock and metal.

Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:17 am
by Drew
His funeral is next Sunday in LA. I predict serious bloodshed if these idiots decide to really show up .... METAL POWER!!

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbe ... mID=140446

Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 12:29 pm
by -deathboy-
i couldn't stop watching those videos. i love those guys! they are they most psychotic fucked up religion out there. when i grow up i want to be just like them. oh, and i want to be a midget.

Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 2:06 pm
by Angie Decay
Really sad to hear that he passed away. He will always be remembered. \m/

New Years 85'

Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 8:52 pm
by Jib
Saw Dio on New Years 1985 at the then Seattle Center Colliseum.
What a fantastic show that was.The giant robotic dragon was awesome.
Dio was on it the whole night.He really sold that show!
Yngwie J. opened up the night.
Will never forget it.
Dio will be missed...