BLABBERMOUTH.NET has received the following statement from ALICE IN CHAINS bassist Mike Inez regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):
"I've never met a person in this profession who has inspired me more than Ronnie James Dio. He was just a great example of a man who not only loved the craft of making music but also he walked proudly through this crazy business with his head up and his shoulders back. Elegant. Professional. This man was a leader and a wonderful, wonderful human being. We are all very fortunate that he was one of those great men that truly found his calling in his life. He found his voice early on and spent his whole life sharing his journey with us. Trying his best every night to make our days just a little bit better, a little more magical. We were lucky to see and hear this great man traveling around the planet, plying his trade. Being a craftsman. Being... well, just being Ronnie.
"To just say that Ronnie Dio was a 'legend' or an 'icon,' ironically, would be selling this man extremely short.
"Even though he left us with an astounding and incredible body of work, his greatest gift is simply that he was 'one of us'... all of us. Or at least that good part in us that we should all try to nurture and grow."
---------- Post added at 07:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:03 PM ----------
The gravelly snarl. The wiry halo of black hair. The pioneering of devil horn hand gestures. Singer Ronnie James Dio was many things to many metalheads, having performed with Black Sabbath, Rainbow and most recently Heaven & Hell. On May 16, after a battle with stomach cancer, he broke the hearts of heshers the world over by slipping into the afterlife. His public memorial takes place at Forest Lawn on Sunday, so expect tributes, throngs of people who would be wearing black regardless of the occasion, and tears streaming from the cheeks of an otherwise tough-looking bunch.
The Hall of Liberty, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles; May 30, 2 p.m.; free
--Alie Ward
I Hope that Ronnie didn't turn in his coffin when I did my little tribute last Friday. At a Karaoke bar, I got up on stage to sing "The Mob Rules" as a tribute to Dio. Though, for me, it's the thought that counts.![]()
...and from Phil Anselmo.
From this interview:Antiquiet/CraveOnline.com: What's the status with DOWN once EYEHATEGOD and CROWBAR tie up their situations? Shows this summer right?
Phil Anselmo: We played Switzerland at a festival a week ago, and we played with AC/DC in Bucharest, Romania, and sadly enough to say, that HEAVEN & HELL show — BLACK SABBATH was supposed to play and [Ronnie James] Dio wasn't doing good. We actually got a phone call before the man passed saying that this could be it. And sure enough after we played the gig we woke up the next morning to the news that he had passed. Just to go out here and say it — Ronnie James Dio was probably one of the coolest motherfuckers in the biz. A lot of people could say that and just be talking nice, but I'm being very sincere here. PANTERA first did a gig with BLACK SABBATH and Dio in '93, I believe. It was in Italy. He was just the most down-to-earth motherfucker. He toked weed with us after the gig, he sent "War Pigs" out to me, he was just a very, very engaging person. Really, really sweet, real down to earth. He kept in touch throughout the years, and DOWN ended up playing some shows with SABBATH and Dio a couple years ago. Once again, I just wanna let everybody know that this guy was just one of the true good guys of this entire fuckin' business, man. So yeah, we've got one more gig at the end of July, and other than that we're talking about getting together to do a little jamming here and there before the year's end. Maybe even this fall, just fuckin' gettin' some stuff out there. We have some song that just need a little bit of tweaking here and there, and fuck, man. We're ready for people to hear this shit. So expect some more DOWN for sure.
http://www.craveonline.com/entertain...-down-103277/2
Ozzy again, from a RS interview:
"You know, when anyone dies in this game, it's sad," he says. "I first knew about Ronnie Dio's sickness a few months back and I sent him a message, saying if there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to call us. I wasn't a really big friend of Ronnie Dio. I've met him a few times over the years. But he was a great, great singer. It's a terrible loss. God bless you, Ronnie."
>>TECHNICIÄNS ÖF SPÅCE
SHIP EÅRTH THIS IS
YÖÜR CÄPTÅIN SPEÄKING
YÖÜR ØÅPTÅIN IS DEA˝D<<
Wow, this has been up a whole day & nobody has called Ozzy an asshole yet!
I like this statement... We weren't great mates... great singer... big loss... What more can you ask? Same with Viv Campbell not piping up with a fake tribute. They didn't like each other. End of story.
Truth be told, Dio wasn't afraid to make his opinions known & I'm sure there were a lot of people didn't like him... (from a personal point of view, a lot of his interviews & opinions certainly rubbed me the wrong way & I miss him as a talent, but I feel no personal loss at all, & haven't cried any crocodile tears at his passing). They do well to keep their silence... Nothing is worse than fake sympathy & over-played loss...
Honesty. Plain & simple. I like it.
I'm sure the feelings were mutual. 50+ years in the business, Dio experienced all kinds of people throughout the years. Many of them must have turned out to be unlikable, many of them must have considered him unlikable in some way & relation no matter what he said & did. It's normal & unescapable. It's just impossible to be friends with everyone, even for a gentleman like Dio. Some people even get more vicious when someone keeps giving them courtesy.
A lot, huh?![]()
Oh well, hopefully at least 51 % were OK to you...
Some of us feel personal loss (I know I do, I lost the best vocalist I know & my hero), some of us don't. But can you say who's cried any crocodile tears for Dio? How do you divide people between who cries real tears & who cries crocodile tears?
Agreed. But I haven't seen any Dio-related fake sympathies & over-played losses anywhere. Have you? If so, said by who? And how do you know if it's fake & over-played?
Last edited by Sabbathman; 06-06-2010 at 07:33 PM.
"HALLOWEEN RIFFS, WALL-TO-WALL GUITARS"
I don't have heroes; that said, Dio is a part of my life since I'm old enough to make my own decisions, nad what I cry or don't is my business, but I can agree 100% with DMC in that it is for the best that there are no fake tributes and no fake sympathies. W
From: http://twreck.proboards.com/index.cg...d=194&post=999
Jason R Reed, aka Darryl Donald (from Trainwreck ) aka Tenacious D's Lee (pictured with RJD here: http://xza.us/dio/photos/tend_jasonreed.jpg)
Dio greatly inspired me musically, as I know he also did my fellow TW bandmates. We are very saddened by his loss. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Wendy and the entire Dio family. We were fortunate enough to spend some time with him during the making of The Pick of Destiny and we are so honored and appreciative of his contributions to that as well as the friendship and inspirado he shared with us...he was a kind, generous, genuinely rad person. I can recall being a teenager with one of the first Walkman cassette players listening to Sabbath's Heaven and Hell album while on family vacation and having my Mom ask me repeatedly to turn down the volume as I had it cranked so high it was audible to everyone in the car. Rainbow in the Dark is still one of the best rock songs ever..period. Dio embodied the talent, class, swagger and amazing stage presence that will forever be sought by future generations of musicians. I know that the heavens shall be rocking hard, long and strong forever more. Rest in peace, King o' the metal scream. Devil horns to the sky, for you, Ronnie James. Rock on, and you shall indeed.
"hungry for another bite of wrong"
WHAT?! Well, let me do the honors: Ozzy is an asshole!
Anywho, I completely agree with you. I personally hate hypocrites, and that Ozzys statement is more than enough. They werent friends, so he doesn't have to be crying over Ronnie James. I assume Dio wouldn't have cried over him either. I would find it extremely hypocrite if he would say how great guy RJD was after all that grudge between them over the years. And same goes with Cambell, as you said. It's just a shame that he waists his talent in Def "fucking" Leppard
And on a sidenote, I read somewhere that Campbell would join Thin Lizzys touring line-up. Maybe he gets few solo spots too and suddenly remembers how to play rock again![]()
"The consequence of conscience/Is that you'll be left somewhere/Swinging in the air"-Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010) R.I.P. King Of Metal
"Just take a look around you what do you see/Pain, suffering, and misery/It's not the way that the world was planned/It's a pity you don't understand" - Geezer Butler
"If god is in heaven/How can this happen here" - Phil Lynott (1949-1986)
Any word from Tony Martin ?
I knew MANOWAR came together when Ross met Joey during a Black Sabbath tour - Turns out, Ronnie instigated it!
Copied from Blabbermouth, here's Ross the Boss's words on Ronnie's passing:
-----------------
Former MANOWAR guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):
"Sunday, May 16th was a very sad day indeed for the music world. We lost Ronnie Dio, a great singer, songwriter performer and human being!
"First, my deepest sympathies to Wendy [Dio's wife/manager] and his family.
"He was always the sweetest person you could ever want to meet! Surely one of the greatest singers of all time!
"My Dio story goes back to 1980 when I was in a band called SHAKIN' STREET. We were supporting BLACK SABBATH in the U.K. and North America. Two dates into the tour in England, I'm backstage and over comes Ronnie James Dio introduces himself to me!!! Believe that, wow! He started telling me he was a fan of my last band, THE DICTATORS, and he knew everything about us, CBGBs, and the New York rock scene. I couldn't believe it! But the thing was he was so gracious, classy and downright cool! Then he proceeds to tell me about this guy that was travelling with their genius technician Dawk Stillwell. His name was Joey DeMaio [MANOWAR] and he plays bass like you never heard and that I should meet him. Well, right after the conversation, he introduces me to Joey and I guess the rest is metal history!
"Ronnie, R.I.P. brother."
---------------
All the best,
PAULIE
"Heaven And Hell" Online!
Monday - June 14, 2010
As the world eagerly awaits the release of "Magic - A Tribute To Ronnie James Dio," MANOWAR have posted a sample of their contribution to this one-of-a-kind tribute CD online. A snippet of "Heaven And Hell," their powerful rendition of this Black Sabbath classic, is available for streaming by clicking HERE.
"Magic - A Tribute To Ronnie James Dio" will be available for sale as mp3 on The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store VERY soon.
http://www.manowar.com/news_body.php?idnews=445
Very strange to hear Eric Adams singing Heaven and Hell
http://www.manowar.com/news_body.php?idnews=446
Magic Circle Music Present: "Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio"
Tuesday - June 15, 2010
Dio's contributions to heavy metal are profound and indisputable. He participated in no fewer than six of the most critically important hard rock and heavy metal albums of all time, including Rising, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, Heaven And Hell, Mob Rules, Holy Diver and The Last In Line.
Ronnie James Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer on May 16th, 2010. It is one of the greatest losses ever suffered by the heavy metal community.
MANOWAR and Magic Circle Entertainment have decided to honor one of metal's greatest legends with "Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio," a new CD featuring Magic Circle Music artists and friends performing some of Dio's most inspired work.
"Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio" is especially poignant because Dio hails from the same fertile upstate New York soil as MANOWAR. "Heavy metal has lost a great artist and a true gentleman," says MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio. "I had the privilege of being his friend and, along with other friends and admirers, we wish to honor him."
MANOWAR contributes a powerful rendition of Dio's signature song, "Heaven And Hell." Jack Starr's Burning Starr and the Magic Circle All Star Band (with Shmoulik Avigal and Joe Stump) contribute the classics "Catch The Rainbow" and "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" and his cousin and former Elf guitarist David "Rock" Feinstein delivers a song inspired and written for Dio titled "Far Beyond." The album is rounded out by several tenacious, up-and-coming bands, such as female-fronted HolyHell, featuring the voice of Maria Breon (called by many "The Female Dio") as well as Metalforce, Awaken and Crosswind, all of whom embrace Dio's legacy in their own inspired interpretations of his songs on "Magic."
In tribute to Dio's legacy, famous fantasy painter and illustrator Ken Kelly, the man behind many of heavy metal's most classic album covers (including some by MANOWAR) has reworked his iconic Rainbow "Rising" artwork for "Magic."
"Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio" is from the hearts of these musicians.
It is not only their privilege, but also their duty, to honor Ronnie by singing his praises while singing his songs.
"Magic - A Tribute To Ronnie James Dio" will be released on Magic Circle Music's online store Kingdom of Steel (http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/) on June 18th, in Germany on July 16th, in the US and Canada on July 20th and further international territories in the forthcoming weeks. The album will also be available at the merchandise booth of all upcoming MANOWAR live appearances, starting at the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria on June 23rd.
Track Listing:
1) MANOWAR - Heaven And Hell
2) HOLYHELL - Holy Diver (Live In Norway)
3) METALFORCE - The Last In Line
4) MAGIC CIRCLE ALL STAR BAND - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
5) AWAKEN - I Speed At Night
6) CROSSWIND - A Light In The Black
7) DEAN CASCIONE - Never More
8) FEINSTEIN - Far Beyond
9) HARLET - Straight Through The Heart
10) JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR - Catch The Rainbow
Posted on Facebook just now:
Also:Dear Friends and Fans of Ronnie, I have seen
lately on Blabbermouth.net a lot of announcements of bands releasing
"so-called" Dio Tribute CD's. Please do not be fooled by thinking they
are doing this for the Fund, the money is going in their pockets and not
to the Fund. I find this totally disgraceful and upsetting tha...t
they are trying to make money off Ronnie's death.- Wendy Dio
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...gId=535916305:
From David "Rock" Feinstein's Myspace blog:
*PRESS RELEASE FROM DAVID "ROCK" FEINSTEIN*
Category: Music
I just found out that ( Magic Circle Music ) stated on their site that I was contributing a song to their proposed tribute album to DIO. It also states that I specifically wrote this song for Ronnie. This is totally UNTRUE! The song is a song called "Far Beyond", and was a cut on the "FEINSTEIN", "THIRD WISH" album, released by Magic Circle Music, (SPV) in 2004. The song was co written by myself and John West eight years ago. I am NOT a part of this Magic Circle tribute album, and will ONLY be a part of any tribute to Ronnie that is sanctioned by "Niji Entertainment Group", and Wendy Dio.
David "Rock" Feinstein
Joe Siegler, Webmaster - Black Sabbath Online
View my CD collection | What I've been listening to
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41)
Big Four: (sorry if posted already)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSo26...eature=related
Manowar singing Heaven and Hell in Bucharest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT5mf...eature=related
and in Sonisphere in Sofia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFUGf...eature=related
And the studio version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFUGf...eature=related
by the way, the entire revenue from the Magic CD goes to cancer research entities pre-approved by Dio's son.