Former Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Heaven and Hell singer and all round metal legend Ronnie James Dio has lost his battle with stomach cancer. Dio died yesterday morning US time at a Houston hospital aged 67. His wife, Wendy Dio, has posted a statement on his website.
“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.”
Dio rose to prominence in 1975 as the first lead singer of Rainbow, a heavy metal band led by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who had just quit Deep Purple. He then went on to replace vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath in 1980 with the widely praised album Heaven And Hell. His on-off tenure with Black Sabbath covered the period 1980-82; 1992; and 2007-2009. For the last period they renamed themselves Heaven and Hell to differentiate themselves from the Ozzy led version of Sabbath.
