Ronnie James Dio

norm

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."

It was only a month ago that Dio, 67, spoke about his battle with cancer with the Artisan News Service on the "black carpet" of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, which took place on April 8 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. When asked about how he had been feeling since he was diagnosed with the disease late last year, Dio said, "Well, I feel good and bad at times. It's a long process. Chemotherapy is a... I never realized what a difficult thing it was to go through. It's a real cumulative effect — the more you have, the more it piles up on top and it takes longer and longer to get over it. I find it very difficult to eat. I don't like to eat anyway, so I guess that's OK. But I know I have to. But this makes it very, very hard. But if you're determined to beat it, then you have to go with what you believe is going to beat it for you, and in this case it's that. I go to a great hospital in Houston called M.D. Anderson, which I think is the best hospital in the world, I have the best doctor in the world, Dr. Ajani, who I really trust and I really believe in, so I think I've done all the right things. It makes me feel positive about my life and positive that there is a lot more of it to live."

Earlier this month, HEAVEN & HELL canceled its summer tour plans in Europe due to Dio's treatment for stomach cancer. The band said in a statement that Dio wasn't "well enough to tour this summer. We hope that everyone understands and want to thank fans and industry colleagues for their continuing support at this time."

Ronnie James Dio had performed with ELF, RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, and his own band DIO. Other musical projects included the collective fundraiser "Hear 'n Aid". He is widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal, renowned for his consistently powerful voice and for popularizing the "devil's horns" hand gesture in metal culture. He was most recently involved with HEAVEN & HELL, a project which also included former BLACK SABBATH bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice. Their first and only studio album, "The Devil You Know", was released on April 28, 2009.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbe ... mID=140129

FenwayFaithful

RIP RJD

My condolences to dcfaithful.

eeriepadave

HOAX!

http://www.examiner.com/x-29040-Boise-M ... hoax-video

May 15, 2010 may well have become one of the sadder and darker days in the annals of rock and roll history, if the ongoing Wikipedia web hoax turned out to be the real deal. The Wikipedia site has been altered back and forth repeatedly throughout Sunday morning listing the Ronnie James Dio as deceased. Wikipedia has removed the information and frozen access to it.

His www.ronniejamesdio.com website is overloaded with hits from fans looking for information or confirmation. Certain metal sites are announcing his death to be accurate, including Metal Underground and Metal Insider.

However this has turned out to be a sick and loathsome hoax. After rumors started circulating via the Internet late Saturday that Dio had lost his cancer fight, Blabbermouth.net reached out to Ronnie's wife and 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.

Fans can rest a bit easier knowing Ronnie is hanging in there, but he needs our thoughts and prayers now more than ever.

As a fan of heavy metal music's most iconic voice, I will continue to pray for his ongoing recovery, because the passing of the 67-year-old Dio, would be both a world loss and a very personal loss.

Ronnie James Dio is one of a small handful of musicians that have truly changed my life. He has been there throughout my journey as a soundtrack to mark my experiences. From his early days in Elf, through his brilliant work with Rainbow, and perhaps the only voice who could have taken the reigns of Black Sabbath after Ozzy Osbourne's departure, without losing the essence of that legendary band. His own solo career has marked our memory banks with classic hard rock and metal tunes, as well as his enduring work with Heaven and Hell. At the time of his alleged passing Dio is working on yet another album even as he flies from California to Houston every few weeks for chemotherapy.

Dio's voice is arguably "the" voice of rock and roll, or at the very least, heavy metal. It is a perfect blend of raw energy and power. HIs legendary sign of the horns has become a symbol for rockers the world over, and one cannot see that sign and not think of Ronnie, or vice versa.

His showmanship and imagery has been the basis for modern hard rock music, and few rock musicians, especially vocalists would not count him among their influences. Just this year he won another in a long line of awards; this one the Golden Gods Award for Best Vocalist from Revolver Magazine. Such awards have been plentiful throughout his storied career, and all well warranted.

When Black Sabbath went looking for a new singer to replace Ozzy in 1979, Ronnie was in the midst of his own breakup with Rainbow. The metal giants found a perfect match in the diminiutive man with the giant voice. When these events happened, as a fan, I was not thrilled with either occurrence. But Ozzy and Rainbow went on to continued glory and Black Sabbath went from a legendary band stuck in experimentation, mediocrity, and directionless in the late seventies, to an absolute Metal juggernaut. Fronted by Ronnie James Dio, Black Sabbath took on an entirely different attitude and aura. This band had the epic sound of Rainbow with all the “classical” feel taken away. It was streamlined, darker, angrier, and relentless. “Heaven and Hell”, the ground breaking debut of RJD with Sabbath, is still a definition of “heaviness” on its own. 1981’s “Mob Rules” is even a little darker than its predecessor. “The Sign of the Southern Cross” still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Dio era Black Sabbath is as iconic in its own way as Ozzy era Sabbath... but then they broke up and Dio started his own band.

Dio’s 1983 solo debut, Holy Diver, was revolutionary in the growing metal genre and Ronnie was at the forefront of American artists to achieve on U.S. shores what the New Wave of British Heavy Metal had done across the pond. He and his band were elemental in metal's mass success in the 80s.

In 1985, Dio and his band brought together some of the most legendary names in metal music, including Judas Priest, Quiet Riot, Dokken, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Queensrÿche, and Blue Öyster Cult for the Hear 'n Aid project, dedicated to bringing famine relief to Africa. The single "We're Stars" raised a million dollars the first year alone.

Ronnie James Dio is a fighter, and he's not done yet!

Long live rock and roll and Ronnie James Dio!!! \m/

Jennytree

It's not a hoax, his official website has a message from his wife up there now.

http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/

Another legend gone...

eeriepadave

Looks like half the music websites are reporting he's dead others are reporting he's alive. so not sure anymore :?

dimitrispearljam

i read in the morning,but some sources said no..so its finally true..
R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio,im posting this ,my favorites song of all he sing..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUJH7y1yK_E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFH36je9Hro

Digital Twilight

http://www.kerrang.com/blog/2010/05/ron ... -2010.html

rick1zoo2

if this is true, then we have lost one of the great ones. Growing up, I listened to a lot of metal including Black Sabbath, Rainbow, and solo Dio. Saw him perform back in the mid-80's. Real genuine guy too. He will be missed.

PearlOfAGirl

R.I.P. Ronnie :(

eeriepadave

It is true. Finally got to his website (it was temporarily down). His wife mentioned it

keeponrockin

Rest in Peace.

gabers

I work a block away from where he was being treated and didn't even know it. People come from all over the world to get treated for cancer there. Bummer for Ronnie.

Staffan

Sad news, R.I.P Ronnie, you will be missed

peace

jimed14

I saw Dio live about 15 - 20 times over the past few decades (might be a little less, it's hazy). In middle/high school, he'd tour and play Providence, then Massachusetts (Boston or Worcester) then head up to Maine. My frineds and I would go to all three shows, every tour, lining up early for the G.A. shows and getting up front. Shook the man's hand more than once.

Quite simply, one of the greatest voices in heavy metal history.

I'm pretty crushed right about now.

g under p

THis is sad but is it true or NOT? If true be peaceful in your time of REST.

norm

g under p wrote:

THis is sad but is it true or NOT? If true be peaceful in your time of REST.

it is true

jimed14

g under p wrote:

THis is sad but is it true or NOT? If true be peaceful in your time of REST.

It is true, last night there were rumors but his wife stated he was still alive, but not doing well.

This morning, she posted that he had indeed passed.

dimitrispearljam

so sad day.the last 3 hours i listen black sabbath and rainbow...what a voice....

g under p

jimed14 wrote:

g under p wrote:

THis is sad but is it true or NOT? If true be peaceful in your time of REST.

It is true, last night there were rumors but his wife stated he was still alive, but not doing well.

This morning, she posted that he had indeed passed.

That really sucks, I had the great oportunity to see him live at the Hampton Coliseum in VA. Not knowing his music that much back in the early mid 80's just doing my security work at the Coliseum and saw his show. To me he was intimidatingly scary just with his voice or not so much his staging but that riveting voice of his. I enjoyed that show so much and awoke me to a new and true talent, he will be missed. RIP

Peace

pejamofacl

Rest in Peace !!

dimitrispearljam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmU7FshBwgg

didnt see in the past..