He's the operatic powerhouse that launched a thousand bands, at least.
Dio: Deep Cuts
Dio: Live
Metal's faithful flocked to see the high priest of musical wickedness.
About Dio
Hometown
Cortland, NY, United States
Formed
1982
Genre
Metal
Prior to forming the heavy metal band Dio in 1982, singer-songwriter Ronnie James Dio had fronted three major bands: Elf, Rainbow, and Black Sabbath.
∙ Dio’s Platinum debut, 1983’s Holy Diver, is a genre-defining heavy metal album that spawned two classic hits, “Holy Diver” and “Rainbow In the Dark.”
∙ Their lineup has included Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, Quiet Riot bassist Rudy Sarzo, and AC/DC drummer Simon Wright.
∙ Ronnie and bandmates Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell cowrote “Stars,” a single recorded by the all-star heavy metal project Hear ’n Aid to raise money for African famine relief.
∙ In 1999, the South Park episode “Hooked on Monkey Fonics” featured an animated version of Dio performing “Holy Diver” at a school dance.
∙ A frequent collaborator with Tenacious D, Ronnie was featured in the 2006 movie Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, and duo appeared in Dio’s video for “Push.”
∙ While it continues to be a matter of some debate, Ronnie James Dio takes credit for popularizing heavy metal’s iconic “devil horns” hand gesture.
Similar to: Dio
Discover more music and artists similar to Dio, like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath