Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio (Ronald James Padavona) had an impressive career arc.  Each band was in was more successful than the previous one. 

And while no one forgot Ozzy Osbourne, Dio’s stint with Black Sabbath was significant.  So much so, it allowed him to front a band that bore his name (or at least his stage name).  When it looked like the end had come, Dio came roaring back with Heaven And Hell – essentially the Black Sabbath line-up he once fronted. 

Like many other performers, Dio’s story actually begins with somebody else.  Osbourne’s (excessive) drug use had put him at odds with his Black Sabbath bandmates.  At one point Ozzy left but returned a short time later, only to leave again.  This time seemingly for good.  That left Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) with the unenviable task of finding a replacement for their already legendary frontman. 

They selected Dio who was to become regarded is one of Metal’s most powerful vocalists.  A forceful snarl, reminiscent of Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, was augmented by near operatic turns.

Dio, born in New Hampshire and raised in Cortland, New York, was the vocalist for Elf.  The group’s major claim to fame was as an opening act for Deep Purple.  Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, dissatisfied with the direction Deep Purple was headed, asked Dio to join Blackmore’s Rainbow (later Rainbow). 

From Rainbow, Dio moved to Sabbath.  His run with the group spanned ’79 – ’82.  During that time “Heaven And Hell,” “Mob Rules” and “Live Evil” rolled out and Dio became famous for his “devil’s horns” gesture – the index and little fingers pointed up with the middle fingers held down by the thumb.  According to legend, Dio’s grandmother used the gesture to ward off a curse, the devil or other unwanted apparitions.

Amid all sorts of rancor, Dio left Sabbath taking with him the band’s current drummer Vinny Appice.  The two launched Dio (Italian for “God”).  The group started incredibly strong with the ’83 effort “Holy Diver” (2x platinum in the U.S.). The album had the title track, “Stand Up And Shout,” “Caught In The Middle” and “Gypsy.”

Holy Diver

Dio (the band) continued with “Last In Line” (platinum U.S) and “Sacred Heart” going gold (500,000 units).  

Unfortunately, “Intermission” (’86) and “Dream Evil” (’87) pretty much plowed familiar ground only glancing “Holy Diver’s” inspiration. 

While “Lock Up The Wolves,” released in ’90, failed to muster much attention Dio’s next move did.  He rejoined Black Sabbath for “Dehumanizer.”  But the reunion was short-lived and Dio was back with his band putting out an album approximately every three years.

This pattern was interrupted in ’06.  But the seeds were sown nearly a decade earlier.  The original Black Sabbath got together in ’97 for a much-heralded reunion.  High profile shows and tours followed. But once completed, Ozzy was off doing something else. Finally, Iommi, Butler and Ward hooked up again with Dio.

Rather than operate under the Black Sabbath banner and risk getting embroiled in a massive legal battle, they (wisely) decided to name themselves after their first, best and most popular album with Dio, “Heaven And Hell.” 

Before things really got rolling, Ward stepped aside and was replaced by another Sabbath vet from the band’s latter years, Appice (was also an original Dio member).  

Heaven And Hell embarked on a lengthy tour before issuing “Heaven And Hell: Live At Radio City Music Hall” in ’07. 

Also in ’07, Ronnie James Dio was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame at Guitar Center on Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard.

Two years later, Dio announced that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and underwent treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.  

Within months, Heaven & Hell announced they were canceling all summer dates as a result of Dio’s health condition. His last live performance with Heaven & Hell was on August 29th, 2009, in Atlantic City, NY.  Dio died of cancer on May 16th, 2010.

Following his death his second wife and widow Wendy started ‘The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund’ in his memory. The charity holds multiple events throughout the year. Since its inception it has raised over $2.5 million.

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