A year has passed since heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio passed away after losing his battle with stomach cancer and so we wanted to take a moment here at Roadrunner to remember a great, great man, who not only brought the metal world amazing music but was a truly wonderful human being. Having worked with Ronnie alongside his band mates in HEAVEN & HELL, we knew Ronnie to be we a warm hearted, genuine, fun person who was a great loss to all who knew him as well as the metal world.

“Ronnie was one of the nicest people you could ever meet” Tony Iommi worote at the time, “We had some fantastic times together. Ronnie loved what he did, making music and performing on stage. He loved his fans so much. He was a kind man and would put himself out to help others. I can honestly say it’s truly been an honor to play at his side for all these years, his music will live on forever.”

Ronnie’s musical legacy encompassed not only his work with Heaven & Hell, but also Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his own band Dio. His career includes 3 classic Metal albums – Rainbow ‘Rising’, Black Sabbath ‘Heaven And Hell’ and Dio ‘Holy Diver’. As well as being heralded as one of (if not the) most powerful voice in heavy metal, he is also widely credited with the invention of the ‘devil horns’ hand gesture many of us hold aloft at the gigs we attend. As a part of those iconic albums he will continue to influence the world of metal and will always be in our hearts.

Ronnie James Dio- gone but never forgotten. Rest in Peace.
(July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010)