wretch

When I heard of the passing of Ronnie James Dio, there was utter confusion. That Saturday night I was at Thee Parkside checking out PORTAL and DISPIRIT. Somebody declared that Ronnie James Dio had passed away. Most of the club was in denial. I had to check all the sources (Blabbermouth, CNN, etc.) on my Blackberry to confirm it. Blabbermouth had reported that Dio was still alive and there was a sense of relief. The next day I was at a baseball game and the reports were coming out that Ronnie James Dio had passed away Sunday morning and this time, unfortunately, it was the real deal. Dio's passing was a real blow to me. I was in shock. I posted You Tube clips and song lyrics on Twitter and Facebook, but I couldn't get myself to convey in words on any music forum. Finally I'm doing it now.

The passing of Ronnie James Dio is a huge loss for the Heavy Metal community. Dio made his claim to fame (after some vocal projects and ELF) with RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and his solo career. I missed out on RAINBOW in my youth (but later caught up during my high school years) when they were active with Dio. BLACK SABBATH was my first exposure. It was a weird time during my high school years being exposed to Metal and BLACK SABBATH for the first time and having to comprehend two different vocalists. Even more of a weird adjustment was Dio leaving SABBATH a couple years later. During that introduction, I still hold in high regard that Ozzy Osbourne's stint is the definitive BLACK SABBATH, but Dio's was just as great (some even say better) like Brian Johnson replacing Bon Scott in AC/DC. Dio was more than a fill in for Ozzy Osbourne as RAINBOW's "Rising" and "Long Live Rock And Roll" and his solo effort "Holy Diver" would hold a place with all the other classic Metal albums.

I've seen Ronnie James Dio many times. 4 times with BLACK SABBATH and 4 times as a solo artist. Again, missed out on RAINBOW and late on the bandwagon as usual. The first time for me was at the Cow Palace for New Year's Eve during the "Holy Diver" album. Y&T and DOKKEN were the support acts. Earlier in the day, the 49ers were playing the Detroit Lions in a playoff game at Candlestick Park. The Niners were leading by the slimmest of margins. Eddie Murray (not the baseball player) was lining up for what would be the game winning field goal. He shanked it and the 49ers won. Later that evening, After Dio, Vivian Campbell, Jimmy Bain and Vinnie Appice tore into their opening numbers of "Stand Up And Shout" and "Straight Through The Heart." Ronnie addressed the crowd in customary fashion, but all he uttered was "Niners!" and the Cow Palace errupted in cheers! Ronnie James Dio, always a man who was aware of the times and his surroundings as he would display in many interviews and his music.

What more can be said? Along with Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford, Ian Gillan and Bruce Dickenson (and the list goes on,) Ronnie James Dio is easily one of the most recognizable vocalist for the Metal genre and he helped defined it. Again his discography and live performances speak for themself. Like Halford, Dio flew the metal flag in many interviews. Many artists in the genre would distance themselves from the label, but Dio wore it proudly. When Ronnie James Dio passed away it was like losing an old friend for me and a memory link to my high school and college years. It always hurts to lose your heroes as it reflects on life, our stay on earth and the memories he/they provided to document the time. As they always say, "At least we'll always have the memories" if we can't have the presence itself.

RIP