R.I.P. Ronnie Dio

[swardboy]

Ronnie James Dio (http://topics.breitbart.com/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 (http://topics.breitbart.com/stomach+cancer/) shortly after wrapping up a tour in Atlantic City, (http://topics.breitbart.com/Atlantic+City/) N.J. with the latest incarnation of Black Sabbath (http://topics.breitbart.com/Black+Sabbath/), under the name Heaven And Hell.
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"Today my heart is broken, Wendy Dio (http://topics.breitbart.com/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 (http://topics.breitbart.com/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. (http://topics.breitbart.com/Maureen+O%27Connor/)
Dio rose to fame in 1975 as the first lead singer of Rainbow, (http://topics.breitbart.com/Rainbow/) the heavy metal band put together by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, (http://topics.breitbart.com/Ritchie+Blackmore/) who had just quit Deep Purple (http://topics.breitbart.com/Deep+Purple/).
Dio then replaced legendary vocalist Ozzy Osbourne (http://topics.breitbart.com/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, (http://topics.breitbart.com/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, (http://topics.breitbart.com/Africa/) styled on the successful "We Are The World campaign of a few years earlier.
His solo hits included "Rainbow (http://topics.breitbart.com/Rainbow/) In The Dark, "The Last In Line and "Holy Diver.

[KC//CRIMSON]

One of the best of all time.

R.I.P. Holy Diver.

[Curly Bill]

Sad news.

I still like me some Rainbow.

[ndpruitt03]

Man the music world just lost a big legend. RIP Dio

[Leroy Lizard]

I guess we can expect more news like this in the coming years.

[sooner59]

Sad news.

I still like me some Rainbow.

Rainbow in the Dark was a great song. R.I.P.

[StoopTroup]

I guess we can expect more news like this in the coming years.

Ya think?

[Tulsa_Fireman]

NUGGETS OF WISDOM.

[Leroy Lizard]

Ya think?

This falls under one of those "If anyone else had said it, no one would have responded."

Hey, I have this way.

[bluedogok]

Saw him at the LNC in 84 on his first solo tour...

[Veritas]

Man, bummer. I was watching his videos this weekend.

[Dio]

I'd heard he wasn't doing well. Sad to hear.

[KC//CRIMSON]

Saw him at the LNC in 84 on his first solo tour...


I've got some pics buried somewhere in the basement from the Last In Line Tour.

[soonerinabilene]

rainbow in the dark is one of the top 5 songs off all time imo.

[KC//CRIMSON]

Man, bummer. I was watching his videos this weekend.

Old school.....

P7eqxg92YG0

[pilobolus]

http://www.revolvermag.com/images/sized/images/contests/REV0110_ArtSpecial-264x348.jpg

He is in this special issue, on how the Holy Diver and other great album covers came to be.

[Leroy Lizard]

It's probably more interesting than "The Art of Country Western and Bluegrass"

[Crucifax Autumn]

This is so sad. He'd been doing well in chemo, but I guess you never know with cancer. I had some hope after rumors started flying around last night that he'd died and Wendy came out to say it wasn't true. A few hours later he died for real. Total suckage.

[Taxman71]

R.I.P. Holy Diver

[sooneron]

RIP indeed. I met him when I worked crew my first show at LNC. Little feller, but cool. BIG VOICE. Hard Rock/Metal lost a good one.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Let me just correct the thread title...

R.I.P. Ronnie JAMES Dio. He was VERY adamant about that and we should all respect it.

[hellogoodbye]

Saw him at the LNC in 84 on his first solo tour...

I was there too. Such a huge voice coming out of a wee man.

RIP RJD

[GKeeper316]

I guess we can expect more news like this in the coming years.

ya when i went and saw the stones at the ford center i couldnt stop thinking to myself "give these guys a haircut and put em in plaid pants and they'd look just like the decrept old *******s that sit up at the golf course all day"

so long, ronnie james.

[Leroy Lizard]

Let me just correct the thread title...

R.I.P. Ronnie JAMES Dio. He was VERY adamant about that and we should all respect it.

Heh. I can just see it now. You walk into the kitchen at 3 am and you see the ghost of Ronnie James Dio. He calls out in a ghostly voice: "Why do you besmirch me?"

[Crucifax Autumn]

No, but when he left Sabbath the first time They went ahead and released Live Evil" and credited him as "Ronnie Dio". That was the only time I ever heard him say anything negative about anyone he'd worked with.

[Dio]

No, but when he left Sabbath the first time They went ahead and released Live Evil" and credited him as "Ronnie Dio". That was the only time I ever heard him say anything negative about anyone he'd worked with.

IIRC, he wasn't too fond of Vivian Campbell, either.

On one of the earlier incarnations of this board I was "Ronnie James Dio". My work computer made me log in every day, and typing all that out got to be a pain so I just went with Dio when we had to re-register.

And no, I don't want my old post count back.

[OUmillenium]

Hungry for Heaven was my fave of the Dio list.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Egypt (The Chains Are On)

[pilobolus]

5ok9OdKVUno

[Crucifax Autumn]

Jesus Christ:


According to the official web site of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) — an independent Baptist church and hate group known for its hatred of homosexuals and its protest activities (which include picketing funerals) — WBC is planning on picketing Ronnie James Dio's public memorial service on Sunday, May 30 at 2:00 p.m. at The Hall Of Liberty located at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California. What will presumably one of WBC's standard "peaceful sidewalk demonstrations" is meant to "remind you who worship that old Serpent, Satan, that your time is very short," according to a post on the "Upcoming Picket Schedule" page of the web site. The post continues, "You know 67 year old, Satan-worshiping (or at least one of their enablers) Ronnie James Dio (of showing his devil horns to the world each time he goes in public) BLACK SABBATH fame is dead, right? We'll be there! Just because the chances of any of God's elect being amongst this group of heavy metal sycophants is slim to none does not mean they should not get some good words."

The post goes on to say, "Yes, it is true that Ozzy Osbourne did 'accidentally' bite off the head of a bat, but THAT is the least of their sins (little nasties!), they currently do not do that, but they throw raw meat to the audience and encourage violence of EVERY FORM!"

The WBC web site then proceeds to list "admitted sins of this now dead and in hell pervert: 1) He hates his neighbor(s) starting with Ozzy Osbourne, and continuing down to his pornography star niece Gen Padova! 2) He hates God. Pay especial attention to the fact that he changed his original sir name from Padova to Dio, which means God in Italian. 3) Ronnie the simpleton enabled, and encouraged Sorceries: everything he was about including the little finger horn thing (he got this from his mother which is an incantation to ward off the 'evil eye') to the drugs, bloody raw meat and his fellowship with those pentagon necklace wearing freakish band members."

The post concludes: "Yes, Ronnie James Padova (NOT DIO) is currently residing in hell. When all those who worship him and his false gods meet him in hell it will be just like this: Isaiah 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: Isaiah 14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. Praise God all ye, His people. The Great Day of the Lord draws nigh. AMEN!"

According to CNN.com, the members of the Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church filed a legal brief with the high court last year indicating that they "believe it is their duty to protest and picket at certain events, including funerals, to promote their religious message: 'That God's promise of love and heaven for those who obey him in this life is counterbalanced by God's wrath and hell for those who do not obey him.'"

The congregation is made up mostly of pastor Fred Phelps and his family. The pastor has 13 children, and at least 54 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. He described himself as an "old-time" gospel preacher in a CNN interview in 2006, saying, "You can't preach the Bible without preaching the hatred of God."

For more information on the Westboro Baptist Church, read this entire CNN.com article from June 2009.

[King Crimson]

screw Fred Phelps

64coD-rx9sk

[King Crimson]

when there's lightening.

LmSt1oEIshE

[King Crimson]

RJD played the Civic Center on the Holy Diver Tour. it was great.

about this time.

it's free and i see that's me, that's lost and never found.

no sign of the morning coming.

[Veritas]

http://www.cracked.com/blog/for-dio-the-only-appropriate-tribute/

FOR DIO!

[Leroy Lizard]

Jesus Christ:

So, if Dio is in Hell, I imagine that having people picket his funeral is the least of his problems.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Those people are morons.

[Veritas]

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/2448/dioportrait.jpg

[King Crimson]

man on the silver mountain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOyFE-1LAI0&feature=related

[Dio]

Metalheads vs. Phelps phanatics?

:pop: