Former Dio Guitarist to Be Featured on VH1 Classic's That Metal Show

Former Dio guitarist Rowan Robertson will be featured in an upcoming episode of VH1 Classic's That Metal Show. Robertson will appear in a segment titled "Where Are They Now?"

This will be the sixth season of That Metal Show. The show, which celebrates all things hard rock and heavy metal, was taped in Los Angeles, California between September 30 and October 5. Hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine, and Don Jamieson, the show is presented as a round-table talk show and features music legends as they hang out and discuss past and current projects as well as interact with fans (who populate the studio audience). Originally a 30-minute program, That Metal Show now has an official running time of one hour. (Read More)

Tracy G Interviewed on Heavy Metal Mayhem

Former Dio guitarist Tracy "G" Grijalva was interviewed this past Sunday (August 1) during the latest edition of the Heavy Metal Mayhem radio show with Mike "The Big Cheese." The audio interview can be streamed via Blabbermouth.net.

In late May 2010, Grijalva posted his condolences for the late Ronnie James Dio:

"My condolences for Wendy Dio and all the Dio family for their loss. My prayers are with all of you. I worked with Ronnie for six years and it was a truly amazing time. Long live Ronnie James Dio, one of the greatest rock vocalists ever!"

Grijalva left Dio in 1999, citing the band's desire "for more of a Ritchie Blackmore style" and its intention to assign him to rhythm guitar duties as the reasons behind his departure. (Read More)

Dio's Holy Diver to be Reissued...in Red

Holy Diver, the classic Dio album, will be reissued on 180-gram limited edition gatefold red vinyl on July 30. The vinyl reissue will be released by Back On Black - a company whose specialty is reviving albums on vinyl for collectors and fans across the globe.

Since its release on May 25, 1983, Holy Diver has receive incredible praise from critics and is most often regarded as both Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. In the U.S., the LP was certified gold on September 12, 1984 and platinum on March 21, 1989.

Following the death of front man Ronnie James Dip in late May 2010, Holy Diver re-entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 149 and stood at No. 11 on Pop Catalog. Some time earlier, a Dio best-of compilation debuted on Catalog at No. 32. Titled The Very Best of Dio, it was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) on March 11, 2009 and shipments on the U.S. alone were in excess of 500, 000 copies. The best-of package had been originally issued in October 2000 and marked the second greatest-hits collection to be released by Dio.

Dio's last release, Holy Diver Live, featured a start-to-finish performance of the classic album, recorded live in 2005. The performance took place before a sold-out London crowd. The album also included other songs from various eras in Ronnie James Dio's career: "Sign of the Southern Cross," "Mob Rules," and "Heaven and Hell" from the Black Sabbath era; "Long Live Rock and Roll," "Tarot Woman," and "Man on the Silver Mountain" from the Rainbow era; "We Will Rock You" from his solo career.

Ex-Dio Guitarist Interviewed on Good Time Metal Oldies

On June 3, Jason Saulnier of the radio show Good Time Metal Oldies, interviewed former Dio guitarist Rowan Robertson. The interview is now available for streaming at Blabbermouth.net. (Read More)

Members of Dio, Rainbow, and Quiet Riot to Pay Tribute to Ronnie James Dio

A group of musicians - which includes Craig Goldy, Craig Gruber, Frankie Banali, and Jeff Fenholt - are scheduled to pay tribute to metal legend Ronnie James Dio. The tribute is slated to take place at The Market Block Party on June 24. (Read More)

Horns at Half Mast: Ronnie James Dio Dies

Mere hours ago, Wendy Dio, wife and manager of heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio, issued the following statement to Blabbermouth.net:

"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."

Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer in November 2009. Just last month he spoke to the Artisan News Service about his ongoing battle with the disease, describing the ups and downs of his condition and his determination to go on:

"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. I go to a great hospital in Houston called M.D. Anderson, which I think is the best hospital in the world, I have the best doctor in the world, Dr. Ajani, who I really trust and I really believe in, so I think I've done all the right things. It makes me feel positive about my life and positive that there is a lot more of it to live."

In early May 2010, Heaven and Hell were forced to cancel all tour dates due to Dio's ongoing cancer treatments. In an official statement, the band said that Dio would not be "well enough to tour this summer. We hope that everyone understands and want to thank fans and industry colleagues for their continuing support at this time."

Ronnie James Dio, born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was the only child in an Italian family. He began his foray into music playing the trumpet as a boy. Later, he began playing bass and eventually moved to singing. Perhaps best known for his immensely powerful singing voice, Dio claimed to have never taken any formal singing lessons and attributed his phenomenal ability to the breathing techniques he learned during his time playing the French horn as a child.

Dio performed with a number of groups during his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and, of course, Dio. He also worked on various projects, including the Hear 'n Aid fundraiser effort. Aside from being renowned for his vocal ability, Dio was also known for popularizing the "devil's horns" gesture in metal culture. More recently, Dio was involved with the band Heaven and Hell with former Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Vinny Appice, and Geezer Butler. The band's first and only studio album, entitled The Devil You Know, was released on April 28, 2009.

Ronnie James Dio is survived by his wife, Wendy Dio, his son, Dan Padavona, numerous family and friends, and countless fans throughout the world.

Ronnie James Dio
July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010