According to Blabbermouth , in a recent interview for the Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley , Vinny Apice commented on the Black Sabbath following Ozzy Osbourne Ronnie James Dio 's arrival as the band's lead vocalist.
Despite the current recognition of both vocalists' importance, Vinny revealed that the early shows were very difficult for Dio, who had to deal with fan dissatisfaction and constantly encounter signs like "Where's Ozzy?".
“He hated singing those songs,” Vinny said. “He hated singing ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Sweet Leaf’ and Ozzy’s songs. That’s why eventually [Black Sabbath] turned into Heaven & Hell years later. So we wouldn’t have to play the old stuff [from Ozzy’s time] anymore.”
Despite all the turmoil Dio faced, Vinny defended the late musician, stating that his rendition of Osbourne's classics "sounded great." "It was completely different," Vinny continued. "It was just a powerful voice singing the melody and the whole thing, so it was incredible."
Before his death, Ronnie Dio gave an interview to Absolute Radio in 2009, commenting on the decision to form Heaven & Hell in 2006 as a way to differentiate the band from Black Sabbath's projects during the Ozzy era. When asked if he felt obligated to sing some songs from the Osbourne era, Dio replied: “Well, I don’t see Ozzy singing ‘Heaven And Hell,’ so why should I? I think it’s quite sensible. We come from different generations of Sabbath – the two generations that were most important, I think. And no, I think we worked very hard to call this band by a different name, so why go back and associate myself with that?”
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