…for one of the legendary noisemakers of metal, he of the tiny body and enormous pipes, Ronnie James Dio.
For most of last evening and into the wee hours, “rumors” swirled about the internet that he had already passed as a result of the stomach cancer he disclosed publicly only last month. While the information was inaccurate at the time, it turns out to have been merely seven or eight hours premature.
The following statement from his wife Wendy currently appears on his official website (when it isn’t crashing under the traffic caused by a worldwide outpouring of grief and condolences)…
“Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes 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. – Wendy Dio”
(As Ronnie was being treated at a leading cancer hospital in Houston, that time is presumably Central Daylight Time.)
I not only had the honor of seeing this legend play the last show of his first solo tour — Holy Diver — at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara in 1983, but also in 2007 when the “Dio Era Black Sabbath” lineup (always my personal favorite, all due respect to Ozzy) reunited and toured as “Heaven and Hell”, the name of their first album; The Dude declared we HAD to go, and now I’m extremely glad in a very bittersweet way that he did.
Rest in peace, Ronnie. You sang, “Some light can never be seen”, but in actual life, yours could not possibly have been missed.
The Vegas Kings (1957–1958)
Ronnie & The Ramblers (1958)
Ronnie and the Red Caps (1958–1961)
Ronnie Dio and the Prophets (1961–1967)
The Electric Elves (1967–1969)
The Elves (1969–1970)
Elf (1970–1975)
Rainbow (1975–1979)
Black Sabbath (1979–1982)
Dio (1982–1991)
Black Sabbath (1991–1992)
Dio (1993–2010)
Black Sabbath (2006) (Recording of three new songs for Black Sabbath: The Dio Years)
Heaven and Hell (2006–2010)
