Have not done an entry in sometime but I figured that tonight was the perfect time to blow the dust off and do one on the life & career of Ronnie James Dio. As many know Ronnie died on May 16 after a near seven month fight with stomach cancer. I just like most was shocked when word first came out that he had passed on because he looked to be in great spirits at the Revolver Golden Gods award show which was taped at the end of April. So for his health to fall the quickly was a stunner to everyone.
For those that might not be metal fans or just getting into this type of music, one might ask what made Ronnie such an icon to metal fans around the world. The answer to that question is very simple,his voice and the way he carried himself with so much grace and gratitude until the very end. Ronnie had one of the best singing voices one will ever hear in metal, go listen to anything he did in Rainbow, Black Sabbath, or Dio on Youtube, and you will hear the type of talent that only came along once in a generation. Songs like Man on the Sliver Mountain, Stargazer, Heaven & Hell, Children of the Sea, Holy Diver, Rainbow In the Dark and the Last In Line don't come around every day. (As proof just look at artists like Britney Spears or Ke$ha)
His grace is the second thing that made him stand out. Ronnie was always thankful for millions of fans he picked up over the years the no matter what band he was in at that moment. He took time out to talk to them before and after shows with maturity & kindness. He also did his fair share of charity work which was best shown during the music project Hear-n-Aid which was heavy metal's response to Michael Jackson's We Are the World. Perhaps Dio finest moment came when he announced he had stomach cancer.
Ronnie felt in his heart that that he could beat this disease and would make a believer out of those who would call him thinking he could fight but not slay this dragon. Just watching him during the Golden Gods it did not surprise me that he handled this fight the way he carried himself throughout his career with pride and grace.
I will always remember Ronnie for being one of the few artists in heavy metal that was still able to perform at a high level into 60's. For proof all you have to do his listen to the record he put out last year in the Black Sabbath spin off band, Heaven & Hell, The Devil You Know. Songs like Bible Black, Fear, or Follow the Tears could easily be put up there as some of the best songs Dio has done.
I will close on this thought, while I never got the chance to meet or see Ronnie perform live as good of a singer, performer, writer, and producer as he was he was a much better person that we sadly no longer have. But if there was one person whose music would live on generation after generation it would be the music of Ronnie James Dio. Godspeed Ronnie.
