Heavy metal lost one of its greatest voices over the weekend. Ronnie James Dio, who died of cancer this past Sunday, has been defining part of the metal scene since its inception. Whether with Elf, Blackmore's Rainbow, Black Sabbath, or on his own, the diminutive singer's voice reigned supreme. Dio's legendary prickliness with is bandmates was greatly overshadowed by his love and appreciation for the fans, and they in turn loved him back.
I wasn't much of a metalhead when I was younger until I heard Black Sabbath's Heaven & Hell. I'd heard earlier Sabbath with Ozzy, but it didn't really grab hold of me like the Dio era Sabbath. I, of course, went on to listen to Dio's albums with Rainbow and grabbed his solo stuff as soon as it came out. That, in turn, led me to start exploring other metal bands. The rest, as they say, is history!
I was lucky enough to see Dio twice: in San Francisco on the Sacred Heart tour in '86 and again with a reunited Black Sabbath in Maryland in '89 or '90 (it's a bit fuzzy. Gimme a break! I'm old! lol). Both shows simply rocked!
Dio - Holy Diver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqn34CGO-1U&feature=related
Dio w/Black Sabbath - Heaven & Hell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwqe27et28A&feature=related
Dio w/Rainbow - Kill The King
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkSHHK7WlAw&feature=related
My personal favorite:
Last In Line - Ronnie James Dio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy6URlmeUpk&feature=related
We're a ship without a storm
The cold without the warm
Light inside the darkness that it needs, yeah
We're a laugh without a tear
The hope without the fear
We are coming - HOME!
We're off to the witch
We may never never never come home
But the magic that we'll feel
Is worth a lifetime
We're born upon the cross
The throw before the toss
You can release yourself
But the only way is down
We don't come alone
We are fire, we are stone
We're the that writes
Then quickly fades away
We'll know for the first time
If we're evil or divine
We're the last in line
We're the last in line
Two eyes from the east
It's the angel or the beast
And the answer lies between
The good and bad
We search for the truth
We could die upon the tooth
But the thrill of just the chase
Is worth the pain
We'll know for te first time
If we're evil or divine
We're the last in line
We're the last in line
We're off to the witch
We may never never never come home
But the magic that we'll feel
Is worth a lifetime
We're all born upon the cross
The throw before the toss
You can release yourself
But the only way to go is down
We'll know for the first time
If we're evil or divine
We're the last in line
See how we shine
R.I.P. Ronnie! We'll miss you!
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