Ronnie James Dio died 15 years ago, on May 16, 2010, less than six months after announcing he was battling stomach cancer. He was 67 years old.
A simple trumpet player who became a heavy metal legend, Ronnie James Padavona was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1942. As a boy, he began playing the trumpet and enjoyed listening to operas; eager for more, he explored music as much as he could.
Although he never received any formal vocal training, he formed a rockabilly band in high school. It didn't take long for him to realize his true calling. He became the lead singer of the band Ronnie Dio & The Prophets , after Ronnie adopted a stage name appropriately from the mobster Johnny Dio .
Ronnie James Dio's golden opportunity
In the mid-1970s, Dio was with another band, Elf . The band was hired for a tour with Deep Purple . Later, Ritchie Blackmore was immediately impressed by Dio's talent, so one thing led to another, and the two musicians formed a partnership, starting a project that would make him famous: Rainbow . This was Ronnie's golden opportunity, and what followed was one of the all-time classic rock works, solidifying the new band.
However, Dio finally left Rainbow in 1979 to pursue a different path and further cement his name in the heavy metal scene. That same year, he met guitarist Tony Iommi, whose band was without a vocalist – and the details of that story speak for themselves. Thus, Ronnie James Dio became the new vocalist for Black Sabbath , the greatest challenge of his career.
Dio was an American joining an essentially British band, and he immediately faced hostility from the media and fans. But Dio's debut quickly silenced the critics with the 1980 album Heaven and Hell . Dio's time in Black Sabbath was very brief, leaving in 1981 due to internal conflicts, but leaving behind other albums that deserve attention: Mob Rules (1981) and the live album Live Evil (1982) . Dio also participated in Dehumanizer (1992), marking a return to Black Sabbath that didn't last long but yielded one of the band's heaviest albums, both lyrically and musically.
The voice of Heavy Metal
After leaving Black Sabbath, Dio pursued a path of complete originality, forming the eponymous band Dio, whose first album demolished Black Sabbath and ultimately established Ronnie James Dio as the voice of Heavy Metal. Holy Diver , released in June 1983, is still considered one of the great debuts of heavy metal.
Now the undisputed leader of his own group, Dio released true anthems that defined the heavy metal genre such as “Holy Diver”, “Rainbow In The Dark” and “Don't Talk To Strangers”. With his eponymous band, he released ten studio albums, with a rotating cast of members over the years.
Ronnie Dio's last venture came in 2007 when he reunited with his Black Sabbath colleagues Tony Iommi , drummer Vinnie Appice , and bassist Geezer Butler , forming the project Heaven and Hell . The band released a single album, *The Devil You Know *, in 2009 – the same year Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer . This was Ronnie's last recording released during his lifetime.
Ronnie James Dio's death had a profound impact on the music scene . Dio inspired thousands of people ; in his 50-year career, he managed to become the greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time.
READ ALSO: 10 years without Ronnie James Dio: podcast pays tribute to the musician – listen here
