Roonie James Dio dies, age 67

[Lars77]

Source: Blabbermouth

Wendy Dio, wife/manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW), has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. 16th May. 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.

Read more: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=140129

---

Holy Diver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64coD-rx9sk

[vi5]

1. Damn, that sucks so hard....

..Seriously, one of my musical heroes.

[rsmith6621]

2. RIP RJD.....Just a reminder....were all getting old....er

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. Aw shit.

I knew things weren't looking good when they cancelled the Heaven & Hell tour, but I had no idea he was dying.

A true rock n roll pioneer (he was making records long before Rainbow or Sabbath) who will be missed.

Fuck cancer. Fuck May. Rest in Peace, Ronnie :evilfrown:

[flying rabbit]

4. Damn...

We're a ship without a storm
The cold without the warm
Light inside the darkness that it needs, yeah

We're a laugh without a tear
The hope without the fear
We are coming - home

We're off to the witch
We may never never never come home
But the magic that we'll feel
Is worth a lifetime

We're all born upon the cross
The throw before the toss
You can release yourself
But the only way is down

We don't come alone
We are fire we are stone
We're the hand that writes
Then quickly moves away

Chorus:
We'll know for the first time
If we're evil or divine
We're the last in line
We're the last in line

Two eyes from the east
It's the angel or the beast
And the answer lies between
The good and bad

We search for the truth
We could die upon the tooth
But the thrill of just the chase
Is worth the pain

Repeat chorus

We're off to the witch
We may never never never come home
But the magic that we'll feel
Is worth a lifetime

We're all born upon the cross
The throw before the toss
You can release yourself
But the only way you go is down

Repeat chorus

[Arctic Dave]

5. Damn, I just can't image RJD being 67.

Bic lighter salute.

[Robb]

8. +1, on both counts. nt

[SpookyCat]

30. No shit my friend. If I had a joint I'd have one for old times' sake.

[BolivarianHero]

42. I smoked the last of my weed yesterday...

I did cross my two lighters though

[jus_the_facts]

6. RIP Rainbow In The Dark....

:cry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHkNl758-YM

[MrSlayer]

7. R.I.P. to one of the Metal Gods.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=140129

Truly a tragic loss to the Metal community and music in general. One of the greatest voices has been silenced.

R.I.P. RJD.

Horns Up forever! \m/

[thelordofhell]

9. The inventor of the "Sign of the horns" (for concerts)

And the 2nd most successful ex-member of Black Sabbath. R.I.P. Ronnie, you deserve it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_horns

:headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

[dana_b]

10. The elven heavy metal king is gone..

:(

Listening to "Mob Rules" - sounds good right now.

[TerribleLarryDingle]

11. R.I.P.

[Peace_Sells]

12. Heavy Metal Legend

This is a dark day for heavy metal a true legend and icon has been lost but not forgotten. I'll be blasting Heaven and Hell and The Last in Line tonight. Goodbye Dio.

[proudohioan]

13. RIP Ronnie.

[and-justice-for-all]

14. I can not believe it....First Peter Steel now Dio....

what a shitty month this has been.

[berni_mccoy]

15. No! RIP Dio.

[Skip Intro]

16. Oh no. RIP Ronnie James Dio.

:(

[old mark]

17. Unmistakable voice, real stage presence, great performer. So many

musicians going lately.

Sorry to see you go, Ronnie - thanks....

mark

[frylock]

19. everything you said..

consummate professional, and by all accounts a genuinely good person. i've never heard anything negative said about the guy. what a terrible loss.

[old mark]

22. He also seemed to just love what he did - it showed onstage. nt

[sweetloukillbot]

26. He was my very first interview when I started as a music reporter 10 years ago...

Really, really nice guy, very patient with my stumbling awkwardness. Tried to interview him again last year w/ Heaven and Hell, but he wasn't available. Big loss for metal, especially since he and the guys from Sabbath sounded so energized at the those Heaven and Hell shows, and on the album last year.

[Autonomy]

57. I recall hearing the same from another reporter

that Dio was the coolest musician he ever interviewed.

[d_b]

18. A rainbow in the dark

RIP

[Orrex]

20. Farewell, Roonie.

RIP

[thelordofhell]

36. His heart was in the right place, even though his spelling was bad

:headbang:

[NewJeffCT]

21. May he rest in peace, but can we change the spelling?

in the OP's subject line?

[SalmonChantedEvening]

23. So saddened.

That voice. He could shame any set of pipes out there.

Godbye Ronnie.

[Solly Mack]

24. Damn

RIP

[KG]

25. the rock and roll generation is getting old.

:(

[Bluzmann57]

27. Sonuvabitch

I liked Ronnie James Dio, especially when he was with Elf. RIP Ronnie James Dio. Your music will rock on forever.

[SpookyCat]

28. Fuck, this one hurts.

I didn't expect tears, but there they are. Felt like a pretty solid hit to the solar plexus too; I'm not young anymore.


Saw Dio at Monsters of Rock and also with Dokken. Anyone remember Dokken? I was so fucking cool back then. You know I still have my leopard skin spandex somewhere.

Sorry for the big post, but this is my favorite of his songs, and I can't get it out of my head. RIP dude.

Holy Diver
You've been down too long in the midnight sea
Oh what's becoming of me

Ride the tiger
You can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Oh don't you see what I mean

Gotta get away
Holy Diver

Shiny diamonds
Like the eyes of a cat in the black and blue
Something is coming for you

Race for the morning
You can hide in the sun 'till you see the light
Oh we will pray it's all right

Gotta get away-get away

Between the velvet lies
There's a truth that's hard as steel
The vision never dies
Life's a never ending wheel

Holy Diver
You're the star of the masquerade
No need to look so afraid

Jump on the tiger
You can feel his heart but you know he's mean
Some light can never be seen

[Initech]

35. Yeah seriously. I love Dio-era Sabbath (aka Heaven & Hell).

[Swamp Rat]

29. RIP

:headbang:

[proud patriot]

31. RIP Ronnie

:-(

[rpannier]

32. How depressing

R.I.P.
You rocked in more ways than one

[HughBeaumont]

33. Inspiration above all. You will be missed.

[Skittles]

34. I don't wanna go, something tells me no, no, no, no.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPkiwdHXXFA

[Autonomy]

58. Rainbow Rising is one of the great albums in rock history

[Skittles]

64. damn straight

[zappaman]

37. Awful news

And I was listening to the new 2CD HEAVEN AND HELL album early today and remembering how great that album is.
This sucks

[Va Lefty]

38. Very sad.

RIP Ronnie

[skyounkin]

39. My sympathies to his legions of fans

and to his family.

[Subdivisions]

40. RIP RJD. n/t

[Roon]

41. Years ago I went to see him in concert

my buddy went with me and just as the show was starting, he ODed on LSD. I spent the whole concert walking him through the concourse, holding him, and trying to talk him down. It wasn't a bad trip, just a very heavy one.

But I think about that night every time I hear DIO.

[Yeahyeah]

43. And Andy Roonie didn't even mention him tonight on 60 Minutes.What a dick!

[salguine]

44. Dude, I think you mean Andy Ronnie.

[Yeahyeah]

46. I think that was Phil Spector's wife,dude.

He should never have killed her.

[aikoaiko]

45. RIP RJD and you destroyed his name. :-(

[GOPBasher]

47. Man, this one hurts.

Holy Diver and Last in Line are still two of my favorite albums ever. I got the chance to see them, I guess about 15 or 16 years ago now (wow, I'm getting old) at a little club near my hometown. It was one of the best shows I've ever been to, and I've been to countless concerts.

RIP, RJD. Your music will always make me bang my head! :headbang:

[The Gunslinger]

51. Metal lost a god today.

RIP Dio.

[sharp_stick]

48. Now I feel old

Ronnie Dio was one of my first big band "heroes". I will miss him.

[Maat]

49. Rest in peace, Ronnie.

Healing and comforting energy and consciousness to his family and friends.

I'll really miss your music.

[NikolaC]

50. RIP Ronnie

The first time that I heard him was when I was 17, I thought that he had an awesome voice, and have loved listening to him ever since. My condolences to his family.

[AnnieBW]

52. He was 67???

Wow... I wouldn't have put him at much over 55.

[sweetloukillbot]

62. He was in his first band in the 50s...

Ronnie and the Red Caps, I think.

[Frank Cannon]

53. Another piece of my youth is gone. The man is a legend.

Not only did he have THE hard rock voice of all time, but by all accounts, he was one hell of a nice and caring guy.

RIP, Ronnie.

[gater]

54. God speed Ron Padavona

I have met Ronnie a few times. My brother dated his niece, and I went to school with his son, my wife's dad was his classmate.
From the days of seeing rehearsals in Gruber's basement, to the Cortland County Junior Fair. From Dio at Domino's, to Sabbath at the War Memorial in Syracuse and beyond, he was a great performer, and brought a mystique to a musical genre that continues to this day.
There was to be an Elf reunion this year... I guess I will go listen to their first album now... "She's handsome, she's got everything a woman needs." (Opening lines to "Hootchie Koochie Lady". I have always loved that song.)
Actually. make that the last two songs of 'Butterfly Ball", if I can get through them...

[Autonomy]

55. RIP Ronnie

One of my first favorite bands was Rainbow, and Dio was the first and best lead singer. I listened to their first two albums until the cassettes warped. My 2nd concert was Dio, his solo band. Ronnie was one of the progenitors of metal. His contribution will not be forgotten.

:headbang:

Btw, Dio was the originator of the 'Devil's Horns' (mano cornuta) hand gesture in heavy metal music.

[Loudmxr]

56. Ronnie came by my studio once and I just had to tell him

We used to do this pre recorded show with rockers and since I came out of the music industry I knew a lot of them.

I didn't do this show and had no idea who the guests were that night but lo and behold there was Ronnie James Dio sitting on my couch.

I approached him and said "Mr Dio.." and he lept up off the couch and said "Hi!"

The most friendly guy. I told him I wasn't a "fan" fan but he had the most wonderful powerful voice that made me want to stand up and sing with him.

He liked that. A truly nice man.

[guitar man]

59. Damn :(

RIP Ronnie :(

the quintessential heavy metal voice

rock on the other side man :headbang:

[Withywindle]

60. One of the greatest voices rock'n'roll ever had.

Seriously. The man could SING.

The Sign of the Southern Cross, live 2007 (with "Heaven and Hell" - basically, the Mob Rules lineup of Black Sabbath)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6YejFHH9es&feature=related

Not quite three years ago. He would have been 64 at the time.

(I like the shaky audience video because it shows just how happy the crowds always were to be in his reliable hands.)

Fair winds and smooth sailing, Mr. Dio. Hail and farewell.


:cry:

[OnyxCollie]

61. Catch the Rainbow, Ronnie.

R.I.P.:cry:

[Yuugal]

63. RIP

[truthisfreedom]

65. 2nd that.

Good night, sweet prince.

[myrna minx]

66. Rip...

[BreweryYardRat]

67. Damn!

Loved listening to his work.

We'll miss ya, Ronnie.

[Kolesar]

68. "Can't happen here" was a great music video

It got a lot of play on MTV in the early 1980s. It won an international award.