Yesterday saw the passing of Ronnie James Dio, one of Rock’s most powerful voices. He hit the big time when he teamed up with Ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore in 1975 to form Rainbow, and then ensconced himself into the hearts of heavy metal fans forever by taking Ozzy Osborne’s place as the lead singer with Black Sabbath in 1980. He formed his own band as well in the 80s. The larger than life growling voice didn’t seem to fit such a diminutive man, but it could not be mistaken for any other.
Dio sang much of the battle between good and evil, and is credited with making popular the hand signal of the “Devil Horns” you’ll often see at heavy metal concerts. But far from encouraging evil, he said he got this from his Italian grandmother which was a signal to ward away evil.
My favorite songs of Dio came in an unlikely setting. He was asked by Kerry Livgren , lead guitarist for the group Kansas, to sing a couple songs on his 1980 Seeds of Change album. The two songs, “Mask of the Great Deceiver” and “To Live for the King” are spectacular heavy rock and roll songs that find Ronnie James Dio glorifying God. And it doesn’t surprise me he was willing to sing them.
R.I.P. Ronnie. We’ll all miss you and we hope you rock the heavens when pearly gates open.
I had forgotten all about those Kerry Livgren songs. Thanks.
Dio provided the soundtrack to my adolescence. The first album I ever bought with “my own money” was actually a cassette of Black Sabbath’s “Live Evil.” I knew Dio’s Sabbath before I really knew Ozzy (although I was certainly acquainted). The first proper arena rock concert I ever attended was Dio at the Long Beach Arena in 1988. Savatage and Megadeth opened. My buddy Dave Galvan had floor seats, 23rd row. I was deaf for about three days, but it was worth it. Great, great show.
Dio was the consummate showman. Few people realize the guy got his start in the 1950s, playing do-wop and rockabilly bands before he formed Elf (first called the Electric Elves) in the late 1960s. The one Elf album available on iTunes is not bad at all. Then came Rainbow, Black Sabbath and the rest of it.
Tenacious D poked affectionate fun at Dio — “He has songs of wildebeests and angels/He has soared on the wings of a demon…” — and, truth is, his lyrics could be inspired one moment and idiotic the next. Heaven and Hell is a great album. While I readily acknowledge that I may be a fool, after 25 years I still don’t understand why I’ve “got to bleed for the dancer.” I guess I’ve still got to “look for the answer.” (Maybe the answer is, he needed something to rhyme?)
It’s astonishing to think the guy was still performing hard in his mid-60s, although if you listen to some of the live material from the past few years, you can hear that his best days were long behind him. Still, that sound — that glorious, hellraising sound — was unmistakable. Wherever Ronald James Padavona is now, I hope he’s at peace.