Absolutely devastating news for the world of heavy metal today. Rest in Peace RJD, we'll always miss you.
http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/
http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/
Rest in Peace Ronnie James Dio - metal legend
- Thread starter Andiferum
- Start date
Kingface
Member
Cronopio
Glorious Imperator
Sad as fuck. From what I've gathered he was - on top of being an incredible musician - an awesome human being as well.
Rest In Peace.
Rest In Peace.
Cello
Promoted to Hannibal
I unfortunately never got to see him live. I was going to go to the Heaven and Hell show that was going to be in the Netherlands in a couple of months from now.
The man was a legend and his legacy will live on in our record collections.
R.I.P.
The man was a legend and his legacy will live on in our record collections.
R.I.P.
Power_Metal_Dom
Epic Metaller
I can't come to terms with this right now. It's just too sad, the tears won't leave me alone and I just can't help thinking how much I'm going to miss him. Devastating loss to all of rock and metal. We shall be grieving for a long time
looseunit
LooseUnit
One thing I will always remember about Ronnie, is how he ripped on Gene Simmons (jokingly) about inventing the horn salute in the Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. The grand legend had humor, charisma, dedication, and passion. His family are in my thoughts. May he live on in our hearts with eternal glory!
I saw him 4 times in all, the first 3 times at the old London Astoria, which as we all know was demolished to make way for a bloody railway track. I can't believe I will never be able to see him live again. 
"Something's calling me back
There's a light in the black
Am I ready to go?
I'm coming home..."
"Something's calling me back
There's a light in the black
Am I ready to go?
I'm coming home..."
Symphony
PQ member
It's a very sad day indeed. A personal hero of mine for over 25 years and I've had the pleasure of seeing him many times...firstly in 1987 and lastly in 2005, where he showed that his voice was still incredible even at the age of 62!
In fact at the 2005 show here in Southampton me and my girlfriend had the pleasure of meeting Ronnie and his band backstage after the show. RJD was a true gentleman and made us feel very welcome and it was a privilege to be able to spend some time talking with him. (That was all arranged by Andre Bargmann - former PQ drummer - who has been a drum tech for Dio and Heaven and Hell for a number of years now.
He's left an immense legacy behind him and I'm sure he's gonna be fronting one hell of a band up there in the heavens. Heartfelt condolences go out to Wendy and all the Dio family at this most difficult of times.
Rest in Peace Ronnie......your inspiration remains to keep the flames of metal burning.
In fact at the 2005 show here in Southampton me and my girlfriend had the pleasure of meeting Ronnie and his band backstage after the show. RJD was a true gentleman and made us feel very welcome and it was a privilege to be able to spend some time talking with him. (That was all arranged by Andre Bargmann - former PQ drummer - who has been a drum tech for Dio and Heaven and Hell for a number of years now.
He's left an immense legacy behind him and I'm sure he's gonna be fronting one hell of a band up there in the heavens. Heartfelt condolences go out to Wendy and all the Dio family at this most difficult of times.
Rest in Peace Ronnie......your inspiration remains to keep the flames of metal burning.
Symphony
PQ member
Some feedback from the world of metal
Heaven & Hell frontman Ronnie James Dio died in the early hours on 16th May 2010 aged 67.
After being diagnosed with stomach cancer in November 2009, his treatment looked to be progressing well but in early May 2010 Heaven & Hell - whose line-up was completed by guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice - cancelled their summer touring plans as it was revealed that the vocalist was not well enough.
An official statement from his wife reads, "Today my heart is broken. 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. 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."
Fellow band mates and musicians around the globe have issued the following statements;
Nikki Sixx wrote, "Ronnie was one of the kindest souls I have ever met and his talent was beyond inspirational to so many of us. I still have this image of him standing on stage in front of 100,000 belting out 'Man on the Silver Mountain' and remember the shivers it sent up my spine. He will be missed by all of us.
Billy Corgan posted "R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio. I only got to meet him once and I can honestly say he was the nicest person I have ever met in music. Ronnie was a true gentleman, and obviously one of the best rock singers there will ever be. What a sad loss today.
Robb Flynn said, "Dio was a true gentleman. Machine Head had the opportunity to open for Heaven & Hell in May of 2007, and having never met or toured with Ronnie James Dio, it was a HUGE honor for all of us.
"On the first night of the tour in Phoenix, Arizona we celebrated, uh, quite heavily, and though the Dio dressing was heavily fortified with an army of security, I somehow managed to bullshit my way in and say hello. He had no idea who I was, but acted like we were old friends. After that, he always made a point to poke his head in our dressing room and say 'hi,' or give Dave shit about 'his San Antonio Spurs choking,' or sometimes just to give us a $100-dollar bottle of wine they were going leave in their dressing room. All class.
"He was a powerhouse singer. Incredible tone, and grit. His voice onstage was FUCKING LOUD!! Shockingly loud!! We were lucky enough to watch from side stage almost nightly, and all of us were blown away by how loud his voice was.
"His memory was staggering. He remembered my wife's name almost a year later, after only a brief one-minute introduction, and it charmed her to no end. He remembered my name a year after touring with him, in a crowd of people, without missing a beat, and asked how my kids were and kissed me on both cheeks when we said goodbye. I turned to my friend and was like, 'Dude, Dio just remembered my name and kissed me on the cheek, fuckin' High 5!!'
"When my parents moved to Fremont, California as I began the seventh grade, it was a pretty lonely time for me. I became friends with a girl named Lori Kibby who played me the first heavy metal record I would ever hear. It was Black Sabbaths 'Heaven and Hell'. It terrified me, enthralled me, captured me entirely. The imagery, the name, the title, it made me want to listen over and over and over again, in particular the songs 'Heaven and Hell', 'Children Of The Sea' and 'Die Young'. My first garage band, (the awesomely-named Inquisitor) covered 'Stand Up And Shout'.
"Would I have found metal without him? Maybe. But man, I feel so very fortunate to have had Ronnie James Dio as my first guide into the awesome world of metal.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you've done for music, Ronnie.
"Horns."
David Ellefson wrote, "Just arrived home from our best-ever tour of South America, and our bright beam from the tour's glow was dimmed today when we learned of the passing of Ronnie James Dio. He was truly one of the 'good guys' in this business and a consummate pro, someone we can all take a que and learn from. We are all fans of his and he did many great things for Megadeth and its members, starting as far back as his 'Dream Evil' North American tour in which we were the support band during the 'So Far, So Good...So What' tour. . . I'm very thankful to have gotten to know and tour with him in both Megadeth and with Tim 'Ripper' Owens. Wendy Dio looked after Ripper's European tour where we played several shows with Heaven & Hell and we got to have many good moments with Ronnie during that tour. He is missed by us all.
"Our prayers go out to him and his family at this time.
"Other than that, time to rest before the European trek starting end of May in Lisbon, Portugual.
"See you then!"
Metallicas Lars Ulrich has penned the following open letter to Ronnie.
"Dear Ronnie,
"I just got off stage in Zagreb. I was met with the news that you've passed on. I'm kind of in shock, but I wanted you to know that you were one of the main reasons I made it onto that stage to begin with.
"When I first saw you in ELF, opening for Deep Purple in 1975, I was completely blown away by the power in your voice, your presence on stage, your confidence, and the ease with which you seemed to connect to 6,000 Danish people and one starry-eyed 11-year-old, most of whom were not familiar with ELF's music. The following year, I was so psyched when I heard the results of you joining forces with my favorite guitar player. You guys sounded so right for each other and I instantly became Rainbows number one fan in Denmark.
"In the fall of 1976, when you played your first show in Copenhagen, I was literally in the front row and the couple of times we made eye contact you made me feel like the most important person in the world. The news that you guys were staying in town on your day off somehow embedded itself in my brain and I made the pilgrimage to the Plaza Hotel to see if I could somehow grab a picture, an autograph, a moment, anything. A few hours later you came out and were so kind and caring... pictures, autographs and a couple minutes of casual banter. I was on top of the world, inspired and ready for anything. Rainbow came to Copenhagen a couple more times over the next few years and each time you guys blew my mind, and for a good three years were my absolute favorite band on this planet.
"Over the years I've been fortunate enough to run into you a half dozen times or so and each time you were as kind, caring and gracious as you were in 1976 outside the hotel.
"When we finally got a chance to play together in Austria in 2007, even though I may not have let on, I was literally transformed back to that little snot-nosed kid who you met and inspired 31 years earlier and it was such a fucking honor and a dream come true to share a stage with you and the rest of the legends in Heaven & Hell.
"A couple of weeks ago when I heard that you were not going to be able to make it to the Sonisphere shows that we would be sharing this June, I wanted to call you and let you know that I was thinking of you and wish you well, but I kind of pussied out, thinking the last thing you needed in your recovery was feeling obligated to take a phone call from a Danish drummer/fan boy. I wish I'd made that call.
"We will miss you immensely on the dates, and we will be thinking of you with great admiration and affection during that run. It seemed so right to have you out on tour with the so-called 'Big Four' since you obviously were one of the main reasons that the four bands even exist.
"Your ears will definitely be burning during those two weeks because all of us will be talking, reminiscing and sharing stories about how knowing you has made our lives that much better.
"Ronnie, your voice impacted and empowered me, your music inspired and influenced me, and your kindness touched and moved me. Thank you.
"Much love."
Ritchie Blackmore said, "Ronnie had a unique and wonderful voice. He will be sadly missed in the rock and roll world."
David Coverdale posted, "I was so very sad to hear of Ronnie's passing. My thoughts, prayers and condolence to his family and friends."
Heaven & Hell frontman Ronnie James Dio died in the early hours on 16th May 2010 aged 67.
After being diagnosed with stomach cancer in November 2009, his treatment looked to be progressing well but in early May 2010 Heaven & Hell - whose line-up was completed by guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice - cancelled their summer touring plans as it was revealed that the vocalist was not well enough.
An official statement from his wife reads, "Today my heart is broken. 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. 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."
Fellow band mates and musicians around the globe have issued the following statements;
Nikki Sixx wrote, "Ronnie was one of the kindest souls I have ever met and his talent was beyond inspirational to so many of us. I still have this image of him standing on stage in front of 100,000 belting out 'Man on the Silver Mountain' and remember the shivers it sent up my spine. He will be missed by all of us.
Billy Corgan posted "R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio. I only got to meet him once and I can honestly say he was the nicest person I have ever met in music. Ronnie was a true gentleman, and obviously one of the best rock singers there will ever be. What a sad loss today.
Robb Flynn said, "Dio was a true gentleman. Machine Head had the opportunity to open for Heaven & Hell in May of 2007, and having never met or toured with Ronnie James Dio, it was a HUGE honor for all of us.
"On the first night of the tour in Phoenix, Arizona we celebrated, uh, quite heavily, and though the Dio dressing was heavily fortified with an army of security, I somehow managed to bullshit my way in and say hello. He had no idea who I was, but acted like we were old friends. After that, he always made a point to poke his head in our dressing room and say 'hi,' or give Dave shit about 'his San Antonio Spurs choking,' or sometimes just to give us a $100-dollar bottle of wine they were going leave in their dressing room. All class.
"He was a powerhouse singer. Incredible tone, and grit. His voice onstage was FUCKING LOUD!! Shockingly loud!! We were lucky enough to watch from side stage almost nightly, and all of us were blown away by how loud his voice was.
"His memory was staggering. He remembered my wife's name almost a year later, after only a brief one-minute introduction, and it charmed her to no end. He remembered my name a year after touring with him, in a crowd of people, without missing a beat, and asked how my kids were and kissed me on both cheeks when we said goodbye. I turned to my friend and was like, 'Dude, Dio just remembered my name and kissed me on the cheek, fuckin' High 5!!'
"When my parents moved to Fremont, California as I began the seventh grade, it was a pretty lonely time for me. I became friends with a girl named Lori Kibby who played me the first heavy metal record I would ever hear. It was Black Sabbaths 'Heaven and Hell'. It terrified me, enthralled me, captured me entirely. The imagery, the name, the title, it made me want to listen over and over and over again, in particular the songs 'Heaven and Hell', 'Children Of The Sea' and 'Die Young'. My first garage band, (the awesomely-named Inquisitor) covered 'Stand Up And Shout'.
"Would I have found metal without him? Maybe. But man, I feel so very fortunate to have had Ronnie James Dio as my first guide into the awesome world of metal.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you've done for music, Ronnie.
"Horns."
David Ellefson wrote, "Just arrived home from our best-ever tour of South America, and our bright beam from the tour's glow was dimmed today when we learned of the passing of Ronnie James Dio. He was truly one of the 'good guys' in this business and a consummate pro, someone we can all take a que and learn from. We are all fans of his and he did many great things for Megadeth and its members, starting as far back as his 'Dream Evil' North American tour in which we were the support band during the 'So Far, So Good...So What' tour. . . I'm very thankful to have gotten to know and tour with him in both Megadeth and with Tim 'Ripper' Owens. Wendy Dio looked after Ripper's European tour where we played several shows with Heaven & Hell and we got to have many good moments with Ronnie during that tour. He is missed by us all.
"Our prayers go out to him and his family at this time.
"Other than that, time to rest before the European trek starting end of May in Lisbon, Portugual.
"See you then!"
Metallicas Lars Ulrich has penned the following open letter to Ronnie.
"Dear Ronnie,
"I just got off stage in Zagreb. I was met with the news that you've passed on. I'm kind of in shock, but I wanted you to know that you were one of the main reasons I made it onto that stage to begin with.
"When I first saw you in ELF, opening for Deep Purple in 1975, I was completely blown away by the power in your voice, your presence on stage, your confidence, and the ease with which you seemed to connect to 6,000 Danish people and one starry-eyed 11-year-old, most of whom were not familiar with ELF's music. The following year, I was so psyched when I heard the results of you joining forces with my favorite guitar player. You guys sounded so right for each other and I instantly became Rainbows number one fan in Denmark.
"In the fall of 1976, when you played your first show in Copenhagen, I was literally in the front row and the couple of times we made eye contact you made me feel like the most important person in the world. The news that you guys were staying in town on your day off somehow embedded itself in my brain and I made the pilgrimage to the Plaza Hotel to see if I could somehow grab a picture, an autograph, a moment, anything. A few hours later you came out and were so kind and caring... pictures, autographs and a couple minutes of casual banter. I was on top of the world, inspired and ready for anything. Rainbow came to Copenhagen a couple more times over the next few years and each time you guys blew my mind, and for a good three years were my absolute favorite band on this planet.
"Over the years I've been fortunate enough to run into you a half dozen times or so and each time you were as kind, caring and gracious as you were in 1976 outside the hotel.
"When we finally got a chance to play together in Austria in 2007, even though I may not have let on, I was literally transformed back to that little snot-nosed kid who you met and inspired 31 years earlier and it was such a fucking honor and a dream come true to share a stage with you and the rest of the legends in Heaven & Hell.
"A couple of weeks ago when I heard that you were not going to be able to make it to the Sonisphere shows that we would be sharing this June, I wanted to call you and let you know that I was thinking of you and wish you well, but I kind of pussied out, thinking the last thing you needed in your recovery was feeling obligated to take a phone call from a Danish drummer/fan boy. I wish I'd made that call.
"We will miss you immensely on the dates, and we will be thinking of you with great admiration and affection during that run. It seemed so right to have you out on tour with the so-called 'Big Four' since you obviously were one of the main reasons that the four bands even exist.
"Your ears will definitely be burning during those two weeks because all of us will be talking, reminiscing and sharing stories about how knowing you has made our lives that much better.
"Ronnie, your voice impacted and empowered me, your music inspired and influenced me, and your kindness touched and moved me. Thank you.
"Much love."
Ritchie Blackmore said, "Ronnie had a unique and wonderful voice. He will be sadly missed in the rock and roll world."
David Coverdale posted, "I was so very sad to hear of Ronnie's passing. My thoughts, prayers and condolence to his family and friends."
forgottenglory
Earth. Soul. Rock n' Roll
I somehow thought that he was going to make it. Rest in peace Ronnie and thank you for the music! \m/
I went to bed thinking that I'd wake up and the whole thing would be a big hoax, I'm still gutted, but we all know Dio will never truly die. 
Power_Metal_Dom
Epic Metaller
Could barely speak about it yesterday because it hit me too hard, retreated from all the status updates and scores of interchangeable comments. Now it's another day and it's still hangs heavy in my chest
But I don't think Dio would want to be remembered in mournful silence, so I'm going to reacquaint myself with the powerful voice that nurtured my love for metal in the first place and remember that he'll never die in the generations who've yet to play him, love him and be inspired. I love you man. Thank you so much.
\m/
But I don't think Dio would want to be remembered in mournful silence, so I'm going to reacquaint myself with the powerful voice that nurtured my love for metal in the first place and remember that he'll never die in the generations who've yet to play him, love him and be inspired. I love you man. Thank you so much.
\m/
Christabel
Member
Christabel
Member
From Iron Maiden's Official Website
It is with huge sadness we hear that Ronnie has lost his battle against stomach cancer, and our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Wendy and family at this terrible time. From his earlier years in Elf, Black Sabbath and Dio, right through to his most recent days fronting Heaven and Hell, Ronnie, time and again, proved his genius as a frontman, always giving his all to his fans and his music. Ronnie was not only an incredibly gifted singer but also a wonderfully warm, intelligent and generous person and this shone through both on and off stage leaving a positive mark on everyone he came into contact with. A longstanding friend of Maiden, we played many shows together over the years and we will all miss him greatly.
The world has lost an irreplaceable talent and, first and foremost, one of the finest human beings you could ever wish to meet.
Steve, Bruce, Adrian, Dave, Janick, Nicko and Rod
It is with huge sadness we hear that Ronnie has lost his battle against stomach cancer, and our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Wendy and family at this terrible time. From his earlier years in Elf, Black Sabbath and Dio, right through to his most recent days fronting Heaven and Hell, Ronnie, time and again, proved his genius as a frontman, always giving his all to his fans and his music. Ronnie was not only an incredibly gifted singer but also a wonderfully warm, intelligent and generous person and this shone through both on and off stage leaving a positive mark on everyone he came into contact with. A longstanding friend of Maiden, we played many shows together over the years and we will all miss him greatly.
The world has lost an irreplaceable talent and, first and foremost, one of the finest human beings you could ever wish to meet.
Steve, Bruce, Adrian, Dave, Janick, Nicko and Rod
rdyfrde
Seer of fish heads
I was never a huge fan of his stuff but it's definitely sad that he didn't win his battle with stomach cancer. I thought from the articles that I read he would beat it.
Though I did get to see him with Heaven or Hell at Gods of Metal last year. Even though I was shivering the whole time (it was really windy that night) on the rafters, it was still an enjoyable show
Though I did get to see him with Heaven or Hell at Gods of Metal last year. Even though I was shivering the whole time (it was really windy that night) on the rafters, it was still an enjoyable show
Prosopagnosia11
Member
- Mar 29, 2010
- 141
- 0
- 16
Similar threads
