Ronnie James Dio!

[Vivian Campbell]

This is guy is a pure legend. Truly the voice of metal. He’s been in not one, but THREE classic bands - Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and DIO. From the late Seventies to the mid eighties he released 7 classic albums in a row: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Rising, Long Live Rock N Roll, Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules, Holy Diver, and Last In Line. The guy has created so many epic songs: Gates of Babylon, Stargazer, Light in the Black, Heaven and Hell, Sign of the Southern Cross, Holy Diver, Last in Line. I could keep going! He’s worked with two of the greatest guitarists ever: Ritchie Blackmore and Tony Iommi. He even discovered Vivian Campbell. His live shows, up until this day, have few equals. There are VERY FEW if any that can top his achievements.

He’s about sixty now and his voice is still going strong, which is flat out amazing. He recently released “Master of the Moon” which is a great album. It’s not as good as “Killing the Dragon,” but that’s because he brought back BORING ASS guitarist Craig Goldy. Despite that, even Craig offers some good material especially on the awesome Master of the Moon, The Eyes, and the shredder Shivers.

Who here has listened to him? What are your impressions?

[Jack68]

Viv,
I saw him at the beacon theater amonth or so ago.Awesome.Played a short set,no pun in tended but if he would just get rid of the solos and play mob rules!Union rules prohibited him timewise from playing rainbow in the dark.I aint lying bro look it up.I ilove Dio i still play kill the dragon,lock up the wolves and all that stuff!

[Seshmeister]

He must be well over 60 by now...

[Jack68]

64

[BrownSound1]

One of the most distinctive voices I've ever heard...many imitate, but none duplicate. Holy Diver was such a great album...still play that one a lot. I loved Killing the Dragon too...the video for Push was funny with Tenacious D at the beginning doing Heaven and Hell...or shall I say a variation of it. It went something like..."sing me a song you're a singer, buy me a bong...you're a bringer of reafer.."

[bueno bob]

64 is a rough guess...Ronnie's REALLY protective of his age...I've seen bio's dating his birth date as early as 1932 (!) if you can believe that...

Let's see...if he was roughly 18-19 (say) when his first single came out (either the Vegas Kings or Ronnie and the Prophets?), that came out in...1958 I think?

Met him once and he was the NICEST mother fucker I could've ever hoped to meet! Me and my buddy were "THE LAST IN LINE" at the meet and greet/autograph session and he had to hit the stage in like 2 hours - he noticed my friend didn't get the \,,/ up for the picture in time, so he stopped us before we left and asked us if we'd like a second picture "Just for safety sake".

HOW FUCKING COOL!!!

Plus he also brought out some of the best music Sabbath ever recorded and completely saved Ritchie Blackmore...Rainbow was still good but never the same without him...

When it comes to true metal, Ronnie's the chairman of the board, so far as I'm concerned.

[tobinentinc]

I started a Dio thread a while back, Here Dio rocks!

[RuzDNailz]

Not to mention put on a killer show! I've seen him in concert twice as an opening act for Iron Maiden. If you sit up close like we did, he'll
give you the evil eye sign which is really cool. Don't Talk To Strangers
is one song that will set the audience in the mood to rock! Vivian Campbell just simply shredded the fretboard apart with his blistering solos and too bad he doesn't do that these days with Def Leppard.

[bueno bob]

Yup. Viv is now officially pussified ballad rock. Maybe he'll jam with Sammy some day on a cover of When its Love or something...

[Panamark]

Originally posted by Brownsound1
It went something like..."sing me a song you're a singer, buy me a bong...you're a bringer of reafer.."

LOL !

I can totally picture that.....

Would love to hear it, just watched School of Rock with SweetSecrets
the other night. Jack Black cracks me up..

[Atomic_Rob]

I just didnt like Dio with Sabbath. For me, Black Sabbath will always be about Ozzy, Tony, Bill and Geezer. Should of split after Ozzy left.

[Mezro]

Man, I loved the Sabs with Dio!

Mezro...RJD is a class act with an amazing voice...long may that little Frodo go...

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by Atomic_Rob
I just didnt like Dio with Sabbath. For me, Black Sabbath will always be about Ozzy, Tony, Bill and Geezer. Should of split after Ozzy left.

Correction. Black Sabbath was always about TONY IOMMI.

Everybody else was secondary.

[Vivian Campbell]

Originally posted by bueno bob
Correction. Black Sabbath was always about TONY IOMMI.

Everybody else was secondary.

Damn right!

[Figs]

I liked Heaven and Hell & Mob Rules. I saw the Mob Rules tour. It was a good show. One of two shows I saw where someone threw an M-80, the other being Van Halen.