ronnie james dio
Tony Iommi Looks Back at Black Sabbath, Meeting Dio and His Friendship With Eddie Van Halen
As one of rock’s most legendary guitarists, the creator of the ominous riff for the song “Black Sabbath” — not to mention the soundscape of the ubiquitous chant-along “Iron Man” and many dozens of other iconic Sabbath songs, Tony Iommi is one easygoing, unassuming bloke. His melodic sense has even led some to term Sabbath “The Dark Beatles.” Iommi, 73, has been a constant throughout Sabbath’s eight singers, a definite aural architect of the Sabbath’s sound over 50 years. Black Sabbath enjoyed several discrete eras: the Ozzy Osbourne years began in 1968. The first of two time periods with Ronnie James Dio at the helm started in 1980, then came round again under the Heaven & Hell moniker in 2006. (The name is taken from Dio’s first LP with his Sabbath brethren.) Recently, Black Sabbath r...
Tool to Auction a Signed Kitchen Sink to Raise Money for Ronnie James Dio Cancer Fund
Charitable fundraisers these days generally try to bring in money for their causes by listing just about anything they think will sell for a decent amount. In the music world, that means signed instruments, exclusive records, collectible memorabilia, and pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. Likewise, you generally won’t see anything autographed by Tool in there. Maynard James Keenan and crew aren’t prone to lending their signatures to raise money. But the upcoming auction in support of the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund apparently isn’t your typical fundraiser. In addition to the usual lot (headlined by an exclusive Holy Diver-painted Les Paul and collection of old Beatles collectibles), the Icons & Idols: TRILOGY Rock ‘n’ Roll Auction will fe...
Dave Grohl, Jack Black, and More Honor the Late Ronnie James Dio in Video
The late, great Ronnie James Dio would have turned 78 today (July 9). Though he wasn’t around to celebrate, his longtime pals did instead. In a video that was released by the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, a number of Dio’s peers and friends honored the late-singer in footage that was compiled from over the years. Dave Grohl remembered the singer as “one of the greatest singers of all time,” and cited seeing him perform on TV when he was “13 or 14 years old” as one of the reasons why he wanted to become a musician. “He would give all of his time, energy and love and attention to do good things,” he said. Jack Black agreed, saying that Dio was one of the greatest heavy metal singers of all time and that he “such a sweet, genuine dude.” Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler an...
