Wish I'd Seen 'Em #10 - Ronnie James Dio
@teamfreak16 (43421)
Denver, Colorado
October 21, 2018 2:55pm CST
Wish I'd Seen 'Em. It's a musical series about musicians that I wish I'd had the opportunity to see, because they are now deceased, and I missed out. We are at #10: Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010.)
Simply put, the late Ronnie James Dio possessed one of rock music's all-time great voices. A hell of a lot of power came out of that short, skinny body!
Dio first gained notice as the lead singer of the band, Elf, in 1972, but really came to prominence as the original vocalist for Rainbow. Dio-era Rainbow was before my concert-going career (but oh, to have seen that version of the band!), but I had all sorts of chances to see him as vocalist for Black Sabbath (he replaced Ozzy Osbourne after Ozzy was sacked, and sang on some of Black Sabbath's best material,) as frontman for his own band, Dio, and Heaven and Hell (the moniker under which the Dio-version of Black Sabbath was later forced to tour.)
And each time, the forces aligned themselves in such a manner that I was unable to go.
The man credited with inventing the goat horn finger symbol for heavy metal, Ronnie James Dio might not be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he is in the Heavy Metal Hall of History. Something tells me that he'd be just fine with that.
I just wish that I could have seen him.
(Info verified by Wikipedia)
Dio, live in Holland featuring the original line-up plays a Sabbath classic.
10 people like this
10 responses
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
He was a great vocalist. I'm glad you liked it.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
23 Oct 18
i saw him several times in the 80's.he was awesome live.
the best one was the "sacred heart" tour with the stage dragon.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Oct 18
My friend used to lead a kind of a goth/industrial band, and somehow they got themselves booked into a metal/hard rock bar here in Denver. I've seen a lot of good bands there, but this was a total mismatch. I couldn't make it that night, but unsurprisingly, the rock and roll crowd didn't care much for them. Luckily, my friend also happens to be a big Dio fan, and had the guys working on a goth version of a Dio song, and they played it that night. He said that while the crowd might not have liked the way that they played it, but seemed to appreciate it, and actually started to pay attention to them after. The power of Ronnie James!
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (48399)
• Mojave, California
21 Oct 18
Who The Hell is this guy? Is he a new mylot member. Ha, how you been buddy? One of my favorite voices indeed. Neat song but you know I love the bad singers always a bit of jealousy there.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
Oh, I'm good. Life kind of got in the way for awhile. Still trying to get back into the swing of things.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (48399)
• Mojave, California
21 Oct 18
@teamfreak16 Glad to hear buddy and Life is my nemesis also. Glad all is good again, missed my partner in crime. One of the few that can put up with me. 
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
@crossbones27 - You would be happy to hear that an old Internet friend recently posted a great list of his 10 favorite punk albums. Out Come the Wolves made the cut, although I had to dock some points for omitting Bad Brains' Rock for Light.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
22 Oct 18
I knew none of this, as usual. 
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Oct 18
Ronnie was special. A great vocalist, and from everything I've heard, a really nice human being
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
24 Oct 18
Awesome powerhouse style singing. Uhm. I didn't know he passed.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Oct 18
Yeah, I was in Wyoming at the time, so it's been eight or nine years now.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
25 Oct 18
@FayeHazel - Very pretty state, full of racist, intolerant people. If you don't look like a clean cut, white cowboy, you would do well to avoid it.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
25 Oct 18
@teamfreak16 Oh well.... that sucks. :(
What was Wyoming like?
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
The link is to a performance of one of his Black Sabbath songs by his band, Dio.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203454)
• Nashville, Tennessee
21 Oct 18
@teamfreak16 I definitely need to hear it. My brother introduced me to Sabbath music years ago.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
@CarolDM - Ozzy is larger than life, but Ronnie could sing circles around him.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
21 Oct 18
great idea for an article series - and a terrific choice to start your list with
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
Thanks. A bit morbid, maybe, but a good way to pay tribute to some artists that I admired.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61951)
• United States
22 Oct 18
He had a quite unique voice for metal: a melodic quality that wasn’t “just” “how much can I scream or growl.”
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Oct 18
Yep. No "Cookie Monster vocals" from Ronnie James!
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
21 Oct 18
Dio had a powerful voice made for heavy metal.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
I'd rank him among the best. Very powerful!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Oct 18
I would have liked to have seen that.
1 person likes this
