Tag: David “Rock” Feinstein
R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio- Marking one year since the death of one of the greatest rock vocalists ever
by craig on May.16, 2011, under CD/DVD RELEASES, ROCK NEWS, VIDEO
Hard to believe, but it's already been a year since the death of Ronnie James Dio, one of the greatest rock vocalists ever. Ronnie James Dio (Ronald James Padavona) was born in New Hampshire on July 10, 1942.
He moved to Cortland, New York as a youngster, where he began playing with local acts. A street in Cortland, Dio Way, was named after him in 1988. He released his first single, with a band called Ronnie And The Redcaps, way back in 1959.
His first heavy rock act, Elf, released three albums and opened for Deep Purple, where Dio's magnificient voice and stage presence was noticed by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Blackmore eventully recruited Dio for his own band, Rainbow, after leaving Purple in 1975. Dio recorded three studio albums and one live album with Rainbow before exiting in 1978, including "Rising" and "Long Live Rock And Roll".
He then replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath in 1980, and recorded the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil". He left Sabbath in 1982, but rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the Heaven & Hell banner in 2006. Heaven & Hell released an album called "The Devil You Know" in 2009. He also recorded 10 studio albums with his own band, Dio, including the classic 1983 debut, "Holy Diver", and an equally renowned follow-up, 1984's "The Last In Line". Dio was also behind the Hear N' Aid project, a collection of metal artists who recorded the track "Stars" in 1985 to raise funds for African famine relief.
Here's an Artisan News Service report in which best friend and bandmate Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell), Ronnie's cousin David "Rock" Feinstein (both played in ELF) and wife/manager Wendy remember Ronnie.
Heaven & Hell from Germany in 2009
The greatness of the Dio band
You will never be forgotten R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio!
The Heaven & Hell "Live From Radio City Music Hall Live!" will be released on Blu-ray tomorrow (May 17). It was the bands first U.S. show together in 15 years, and spawned a tour, the studio album and plans for world domination but for the untimely death of Dio.
