Heavy metal rocker Ronnie James Dio died Sunday morning after a battle with stomach cancer, his wife announced.
"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. 16th May," Wendy Dio said in a message posted on his official website.
Dio, 67, followed Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath's lead vocalist in 1979.
"Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away," she wrote. "Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all."
Born Ronald James Padavona in 1942, Dio's professional music career began as a high school student in the late 1950s.
His 1960s rock group The Electric Elves evolved into Elf by the early 1970s, when the group played heavy blues rock.
Dio's rock became darker with his band Rainbow, which he left in 1979 to join Black Sabbath.
Black Sabbath released three albums with Dio, including "Heaven and Hell" in 1980, "Mob Rules" in 1981 and "Live Evil" in 1982.
Dio left that band in 1982, but he had a brief reunion with the group a decade later. He formed the group Dio in 1982. The group continued to perform until his illness.
His last public appearance was in April at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards when he accepted a vocalist of the year award his work on last year's Heaven and Hell album. Dio appeared frail, but he was able to speak when accepting his award.
So sad that this article repeated itself. CNN- get your act together....And to DUDE666.....Simply stated...You're an idiot, and I hope Tipper Gore gets a DWI while running you directly into a tree.....You deserve to suffer, for you can't even post a sensible comment on the internet....Fat head.
Rest Peacefully. All Faith is Kept.
The Angels will now know what it is to "sing."
Dude666 ... What do you know? Igmo.
"A talented man does what he can and a Genius does what he must."
These \m/ horns will forever rise to the name of RONNIE JAMES DIO. The icon of the last century for all Metal and Rock Fans alike. We the faithful followers of his music will carry on. Fantasy land is so much better than reality world. Dio will rule both the lands of heaven and hell. The world has lost the most thunderous voice ever.
RIP Ronnie. You were my hero. Up the Horns \m/
Regards
Zoe,
Scratch Card Winners (Bangalore)
http://www.myspace.com/thescratchcardwinners
"A talented man does what he can and a Genius does what he must."
These \m/ horns will forever rise to the name of RONNIE JAMES DIO. The icon of the last century for all Metal and Rock Fans alike. We the faithful followers of his music will carry on. Fantasy land is so much better than reality world. Dio will rule both the lands of heaven and hell. The world has lost the most thunderous voice ever.
RIP Ronnie. You were my hero. Up the Horns \m/
Regards
Zoe,
Scratch Card Winners (Bangalore)
The King Of Rock n Roll Lives On
R.I.P Dio.
You wrote the music history and part of it.
Muse's bressing will be with you.
From South Korea
Seaotranq ... What does Elvis have to do with this?
RIP scribe and oracle of the realms that are and yet never seen. Now that your "8 miles high about to fall" you know there is someone to catch you. As you ride out with your Children of the sea, you shall live forever more.
I hope that all the young ones remember that when they hold the hand of rock and roll high into the air...It was Dio (traced back by MTV) that started that. Like in all that he did, he was the first and will rock forever more.
I was pleased to see him from Elf-Rainbow-Sabbath-Dio over 40 times, and had met you 4 times. Funniest was Mob Rules tour in Pittsburgh when you broke your heal and I realized how small a man you were...with a voice that shocked the gods.
Seeing you will be missed, but hearing you never!!!!!
Craig K .... that was too dramatic.. can you tone it down a bit? Scribe and Oracle? Give me a break... this guy sucked.
Ronnie will always be a Light In The Black...RIP and thank you for all the music.
This guy misled young kids .... sad.
I was blessed with meeting Ronnie the first time at the age of about 18. Mr. Dio was not only a true professional but a fine example of what and how a popular musician should act like, well spoken, intelligent, sincere, completely modest, etc....
I've been lucky enough to meet Ronnie several times since then and everytime he's the same, a genuine human being.
Words cannot express the loss that the music world is feeling today......
RIP Ronnie James Dio
The Man had an incredible voice that never weakened.What an incredible gift he was blessed to have.I will never forget seeing him with Black Sabbath at Madison Square Garden back in the early 80s.I was close enough to shake his hand.He was awesome!!! What a terrible loss !!!
Carl ... that is the silliest thing I've ever heard ... a light in the black.. how about a black in a dark world? Hmm.
Paulie ... Quit acting like the man was a god.. All he cared about was your money ... get over it.