The birthday of late metal legend Ronnie James Dio will be celebrated with a virtual fundraiser event at 2 p.m. PT on July 10th. Proceeds will support the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.
Metal luminaries and former band members will drop in on the virtual celebration to perform, share birthday messages, and reminisce on the life of Dio, who shared both a passion for heavy metal and charity work. Among the star-studded list of guests are Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, former Dio/Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice, Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna, current Guns N’ Roses drummer Frank Ferrer, former GN’R guitarist Gilby Clarke, Testament vocalist Chuck Billy, Lita Ford, and many more.
Radio/TV hosts Eddie Trunk and Matt Pinfield will conduct interviews with artists, as well as Dio producer Wyn Davis and Ronnie’s widow and longtime manager, Wendy Dio. In addition, the presentation features musical performances, anecdotes from Ronnie’s friends and family, exclusive archival footage, and previously unseen footage from the Ronnie James Dio Stand up and Shout Cancer Fund’s inaugural event in 2011.
Related Video
Dio would have turned 79 on July 10th. The legendary singer, who fronted Rainbow, Sabbath, and his own eponymous band, died in May 2010 after a battle with gastric cancer.
In other Dio news, the singer’s autobiography was posthumously completed and hits bookstores on July 27th. Rhino Records also recently reissued a pair of Black Sabbath’s Dio-era albums and much of Dio’s 1990s and 2000s catalog.
Early bird tickets for the virtual fundraiser are $15 through June 16th and are available now via Rolling Live Studios. Check out the event poster below.
