Heavy Metal Vocalist And Legend, Ronnie James Dio,Dead At 67….Rock On Ronnie!!!

The legend that replaced Black Sabbath lead vocalist Ozzy Osbourne,…Ronnie James Dio,67,has died, losing his battle against stomach cancer.

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Wendy Dio,Ronnie’s wife, announced that her husband was diagnosed with stomach cancer on Nov. 25, and he underwent at least seven rounds of chemo.His current band, Heaven and Hell, canceled its summer tour on May 4 because of his condition.(SOURCE)

[picapp align=”right” wrap=”true” link=”term=ronnie+james+dio&iid=6194173″ src=”7/a/6/3/Ronnie_James_Dio_a120.jpg?adImageId=12881301&imageId=6194173″ width=”234″ height=”344″ /]Wendy Dio posted the following message on Ronnie’s official website, announcing the sad news to the world, and Dio’s legion of fans:

Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever.

– Wendy Dio(SOURCE)

When Ozzy Osborne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, Mr. Dio replaced him, and by 1983 he released the album “Holy Diver” with his own band, Dio. In various lineup configurations, the band Dio continued to release material in the mid-2000s.

He is widely credited with popularizing the “devil horn” hand gesture — index and pinky fingers up, everything else clenched in a fist — as a symbol of metal’s occult-like worship of everything scary and heavy.(SOURCE)

Ronnie formed the band DIO, after leaving Black Sabbath in 1982.His intention was to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial standpoint, as the name was already well-known at that time.(WIKI)

Ironically, although Ronnie James Dio sang of evil, danger,heaven,hell, and the occult,the name Dio is the Italian word for God.(SOURCE)

Growing up as a teen in the late 70’s in San Diego, California, I was lucky to have many different musical influences,and Dio and Black Sabbath were some of the biggest that shaped my musical identity…rock on Dio!!!

Thanks for the entertainment Ronnie James Dio!!!…May you R.I.P.!!!

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