TRIBUTE to Ronnie James Dio (RIP) Part I by: Dimas Bramantyo (guitar shred hero, VALERIAN, Surabaya power-metal) (Part II by Kieran James coming soon)

Do you know nowadays the hands symbol Rock and Metal people call Metal Horns? Or did you ever hear “Don’t Talk to Strangers”, “Holy Diver”, “Long Live Rock n Roll”, “Man On The Silver Mountain”, “Heaven And Hell”..??Yeah, that’s some kind of history for Dio and songs sung by the Man with Thundering Voice. Who is that? Not anyone else? That’s Ronnie James Dio who was born with the name Ronald James Padanova. The name “DIO” was inspired by the Italian-American gangster Johnny Dio.

            Dio was born on July 10, 1942 in Portsmouth – New Hampshire. Dio grew up in Cortland. In his life Dio was married twice. The first was with Lorreta Berardi and they adopted a son called Dan Padanova, The last was with Wendy Gaxiola. Dio’s music career did not start with vocals. In the beginning Dio was a bass player with some local groups called The Vegas Kings until he became the lead singer of this band. The band name changed into Ronnie and the Redcaps, and later Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. But the history of Dio in Heavy Metal started with band called Electric Elves or “Elf”. The album was co-produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover and Deep Purple Drummer Ian Paice. “Elf” was signed to Purple Records and supported Deep Purple tours.

            After several Deep Purple support tours, in 1975 when Ritchie Blackmore (guitarist) split from Deep Purple Mark II and made his own project called “Rainbow”, Blackmore wasted no time to recruiting all of Dio and Electric Elves minus their guitarist. And many people think that’s the ideal collaboration, because of the mix of the Virtuoso Guitarist with Thundering Voice and Medieval Lyrics. And many people said this is the best band in the 1970’s era.

[Kieran James’ comment: Yes I agree. The Rainbow Rising and Long Live Rock and Roll albums are power-metal masterpieces and I think they are better than anything Deep Purple ever did and equally as good as the best Iron Maiden albums of ten years later. I would say Rainbow invented power-metal in its modern form including the sound and the lyrics. The classic Rainbow Rising line-up of Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jimmy Bain (bass), Tony Carey (keyboards), and Cozy Powell (drums) was perhaps the best power-metal or even best metal line-up ever.]

Ukay (UMBRA MORTIS)

     In 1979 Dio joined the biggest band in Heavy Metal Black Sabbath replacing the living legend Ozzy Osbourne. With Dio Black Sabbath made some new life, because their music is heavier, more modern in sound, and more uptempo. With Sabbath Dio made a legendary album called Heaven and Hell. In 1982 Dio and Vinnie Appice had some problem or difference in opinion with the others in Black Sabbath Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. Drummer Bill Ward left the band after Heaven and Hell and was replaced by Appice. Then Dio and Vinnie Appice were fired from the band even though both of them came back to Sabbath in 1992 to make the Dehumanizer album.

After being fired, Dio and Appice made some project and named the band “DIO”. Jimmy Bain (ex-Rainbow bassist) joined them as well. This band produced many great Songs including “Holy Diver”, ”Don’t Talk To Stranger”, ”We Rock”, ”King of Rock and Roll”, “Sacred Heart”, “Rock and Roll Children”, “Hungry for Heaven”, “Wild One”, etc.

In this project Dio worked with many great musicians including: Craig Goldy, Vivian Campbell, Jake E Lee, Tracy G, Rowan Robertson, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, Rudy Sarzo, Larry Denisson, Teddy Cook, Jimmy Bain, Jens Johannson, Scott Warren, Claude Schnell, Vinnie Appice, and Simon Wright (who also played for AC/DC). With “Dio” Ronnie James Dio produced ten albums.

Dimas Bramantyo (VALERIAN)

          The last time Ronnie James Dio ever performed in front of an audience was on August 29, 2009 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. After that Dio fought against his stomach cancer, but nine months after the last performance “The Legend” passed away on May, 16, 2010 (07.45AM). This news made every person in the world who loves Rock Music deeply sad because this world lost someone who dedicated the whole of his life to Rock Music.

Goodbye God Of Rock n Roll, We Always Love You!!

He was the King of Rock and Roll!

“Long Live Rock And Roll”