Eräs merkittävimmistä raskaan rockin solisteista, Ronnie James Dio, menehtyi vatsasyöpään sunnuntaina 16. toukokuuta.
Suuren laulajan vaimo Wendy Dio on julkaissut seuraavan tiedotteen:
"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. on Sunday 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes 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."
Sairaus vei 67-vuotiaan miehen lopulta varsin nopeasti, sillä laulaja antoi haastattelun vielä reilu kuukausi sitten Artisan News Service -tietotoimistolle Revolver Golden Gods Awards -tilaisuudessa Los Angelesissa. Tuolloin Dio sanoi: "Well, I feel good and bad at times. It’s a long process. Chemotherapy is a… I never realized what a difficult thing it was to go through. It’s a real cumulative effect — the more you have, the more it piles up on top and it takes longer and longer to get over it. I find it very difficult to eat. I don’t like to eat anyway, so I guess that’s OK. But I know I have to. But this makes it very, very hard. But if you’re determined to beat it, then you have to go with what you believe is going to beat it for you, and in this case it’s that."
Ronnie James Dion ura alkoi jo 1960-luvun alussa muun muassa Ronnie And The Rumblersin ja Ronnie Dio And The Prophetsin riveissä. Sittemmin miehen tie vei legendaarisen Rainbow’n solistiksi ja Black Sabbathin keulamieheksi. Oman Dio-yhtyeen ura oli myös hyvin menestyksekäs. Viime vuosina mies toimi myös Heaven And Hellin johtohahmona.
Tämä versio Rainbow’n Gates Of Babylonista kelpaa vaikutusvaltaisen miehen muistoksi. Uskomatonta työtä.
Myöss lukemattomat kanssamuusikot ovat jo muistaneet menehtynyttä laulajaa. Muun muassa Slash, Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Dream Theaterin Mike Portnoy, Anthraxin Scott Ian sekä Kiss, Iron Maiden ja Judas Priest ovat jo puhuneet legendan muistolle.
Metallican Lars Ulrich on puolestaan kirjoittanut Diolle seuraavan kirjeen:
"Dear Ronnie,
I just got off stage in Zagreb. I was met with the news that you’ve passed on. I’m kind of in shock, but I wanted you to know that you were one of the main reasons I made it onto that stage to begin with.
When I first saw you in ELF, opening for DEEP PURPLE in 1975, I was completely blown away by the power in your voice, your presence on stage, your confidence, and the ease with which you seemed to connect to 6,000 Danish people and one starry-eyed 11-year-old, most of whom were not familiar with ELF’s music. The following year, I was so psyched when I heard the results of you joining forces with my favorite guitar player. You guys sounded so right for each other and I instantly became RAINBOW’s #1 fan in Denmark.
In the fall of 1976, when you played your first show in Copenhagen, I was literally in the front row and the couple of times we made eye contact you made me feel like the most important person in the world. The news that you guys were staying in town on your day off somehow embedded itself in my brain and I made the pilgrimage to the Plaza Hotel to see if I could somehow grab a picture, an autograph, a moment, anything. A few hours later you came out and were so kind and caring… pictures, autographs and a couple minutes of casual banter. I was on top of the world, inspired and ready for anything. RAINBOW came to Copenhagen a couple more times over the next few years and each time you guys blew my mind, and for a good three years were my absolute favorite band on this planet.
Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to run into you a half dozen times or so and each time you were as kind, caring and gracious as you were in 1976 outside the hotel.
When we finally got a chance to play together in Austria in 2007, even though I may not have let on, I was literally transformed back to that little snot-nosed kid who you met and inspired 31 years earlier and it was such a fucking honor and a dream come true to share a stage with you and the rest of the legends in HEAVEN & HELL.
A couple of weeks ago when I heard that you were not going to be able to make it to the Sonisphere shows that we would be sharing this June, I wanted to call you and let you know that I was thinking of you and wish you well, but I kind of pussied out, thinking the last thing you needed in your recovery was feeling obligated to take a phone call from a Danish drummer/fan boy. I wish I’d made that call.
We will miss you immensely on the dates, and we will be thinking of you with great admiration and affection during that run. It seemed so right to have you out on tour with the so-called ’Big Four’ since you obviously were one of the main reasons that the four bands even exist.
Your ears will definitely be burning during those two weeks because all of us will be talking, reminiscing and sharing stories about how knowing you has made our lives that much better.
Ronnie, your voice impacted and empowered me, your music inspired and influenced me, and your kindness touched and moved me. Thank you.
Much love."