On a recent episode of the “Loaded Radio” podcast, former DIO guitarist Doug Aldrich spoke to Scott Penfold about the two bands that were formed by other ex-DIO members in the years after singer Ronnie James Dio‘s death: LAST IN LINE and DIO DISCIPLES. Asked if he thinks both those acts are “cool,” Doug replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah. I think it was really cool when [LAST IN LINE] had [bassist] Jimmy Bain. Jimmy was one of those great players like Glenn [Hughes] in his own sense. Jimmy was a much simpler player — great songwriter, great guy. And him and Vivian [Campbell, guitar] together, with Vinny [Appice, drums], that was really cool. Especially when they played that [early DIO] stuff, it sounded really legit — as much as you can without having Ronnie. And then DIO DISCIPLES is great. They had been in the [DIO] band longer than anybody — Craig [Goldy, guitar] and Scott [Warren, keyboards] and Simon [Wright, drums]. So I support those guys, what they’re doing, too.”
Aldrich also spoke about the Ronnie James Dio hologram, which has played a number of shows in the U.S. and Europe in the last five years after being created by a company called Eyellusion.
“The hologram thing, there’s a good side to it, but there’s also a side where nothing’s gonna compare to the real thing,” Doug said. “And I know Ronnie was one of those guys that would be, like, ‘If it’s not me, then just don’t do it.'”
He continued: “I just know [Ronnie]. Anything that you’re doing, he would be, like, ‘Why do it if it’s not gonna be the best it can be?’ That’s just how he was.”
The Dio hologram production uses audio of Ronnie‘s live performances from throughout his career, with the DIO band playing live, consisting of Goldy on guitar, Wright on drums and Warren on keyboards, along with Bjorn Englen on bass. Also appearing with them are former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens and ex-LYNCH MOB frontman Oni Logan.
After the tour’s initial seven-date run was completed in December 2017, Ronnie‘s hologram is undergoing “some changes” before the launch of the next leg of the “Dio Returns” world tour.
In a 2015 interview with CrypticRock.com, Aldrich said that he was “only really in [DIO] for about a year, but in that year, we did do the ‘Killing The Dragon’ record. I got to contribute to that record with a couple of songs also, which was nice,” he said. “We did a lot in that first year. We did that record, a bunch of touring, and a live DVD called ‘Evil Or Divine – Live In New York City’ [2005]. Then I joined WHITESNAKE, but I kept coming back to DIO. There was a couple of tours in 2005. Ronnie said, ‘Would you come on tour with me?’ I said, ‘Absolutely, I just have to speak to David about it.’ David said, ‘Cool, just make sure you come back,’ because we had talked about some new music and he did not want me to split.”
Having also played with LION, HOUSE OF LORDS, BAD MOON RISING, HURRICANE and Glenn Hughes, Aldrich joined THE DEAD DAISIES in 2016 and can be heard on that band’s last three albums, 2016’s “Make Some Noise”, 2018’s “Burn It Down” and 2021’s “Holy Ground”.
Ronnie James Dio, best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and DIO, died of stomach cancer in May 2010 at the age of 67.
