Music

Remembering Ronnie James Dio two years later

by Tyler Munro

Ronnie James Dio died two years ago today, and heavy metal still hasn’t recovered. Dio was more than a voice—he was an ambassador. In a genre prided on mythology, he was a king.

The diminutive singer made up for his short stature with a bellowed voice, one which carried through songs like a squeezed bagpipe, overpowering layers of guitars, drums and bass. Dio got his start in the 1950s, first breaking out with Ronnie & the Red Caps, an old style, croon-heavy quartet he fronted until the late 60s.

Ronnie & the Red Caps – An Angel is Missing
[youtube id=”kmbuHKuyDRc&autohide=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

From there he formed Elf, then joined Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow before fronting Black Sabbath on 1980’s Heaven & Hell, which solidified him as a vocal force to be reckoned with. In a testament to Dio’s charisma and talent, he took up shared songwriting duties in Sabbath almost immediately, penning some of the band’s best material this side of Master of Reality.

Black Sabbath – Heaven & Hell

He’s remembered for his voice, but more than that, the way he lived the music. Ronnie James Dio breathed heavy metal in a way that self-parodied acts like Manowar can only dream about. He was playful, enlisting Tenacious D to lampoon the classic Sabbath song “Heaven & Hell” in one of his videos not long after the duo joked he was too old to rock. He’s been the subject of countless tributes. Hell, he even got his own statue. In Bulgaria! Today, 3 Inches of Blood released the video for “Look Out,” their own tribute to the legendary singer. When we talked to Cam Pipes, the 3 Inches of Blood singer talked about Dio’s impact.

“His legacy lives on just with what he has done and what he still does, teaching young kids who are just getting into heavy metal now or just discovering it for the first time,” he said. “He’ll still teach even though he’s not with us anymore.”

Dio lived his life with a limitless enthusiasm. He was the old guy, sure, but he was never worse for it. He’s the guy who was recording top notch heavy metal albums well into his 60s. He sang songs about dragons, swords, and other such mysticisms with passion, conviction and a smile on his face. He made fun of Gene Simmons. A lot. And most importantly, he gave metal its devil horns.

Earlier today it was announced that Bill Ward was out of Black Sabbath, ending the hopes of a reunion between the band’s original quartet. But for many fans, the real reunion of Sabbath’s glory days came the last time Bill Ward pulled out of a tour, leading Ronnie, Tony, Geezer and Vinnie to get together to prove that a band with a collective age of 235 could still cut one hell of an album.

Dio died two years ago of stomach cancer. In his storied career, it would be his only battle lost.

Rest in Peace, Ronnie.