Ronny James Dio in memoriam

Ronnie James Dio flashing the
famous "devil horns" that he
popularized.
Paul Kane/Getty Images
The metal world lost one of its
greatest singers and
ambassadors when Ronnie James
Dio lost his battle with stomach
cancer on May 16, 2010.
His fifty plus year musical career
included stints in Rainbow, Black
Sabbath, Dio and others. Dio's
passing leaves an enormous void
in metal, and he will be greatly
missed and fondly remembered.
Countless musicians have posted
tributes and memories, and
some of them are included here.
In some cases, only part of their
statement is printed here, and
you can click on the links for the
full text.
Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath:
"I've been in total shock. I just
can't believe he's gone. Ronnie
was one of the nicest people you
could ever meet, we had some
fantastic times together. Ronnie
loved what he did, making music
and performing on stage. He
loved his fans so much. He was a
kind man and would put himself
out to help others. I can
honestly say it 's truly been an
honor to play at his side for all
these years, his music will live on
forever."
Iron Maiden:
"Ronnie was not only an
incredibly gifted singer but also a
wonderfully warm, intelligent
and generous person and this
shone through both on and off
stage leaving a positive mark on
everyone he came into contact
with. A longstanding friend of
Maiden, we played many shows
together over the years and we
will all miss him greatly."
Judas Priest:
"We are filled with great sadness
at the terrible news about our
friend Ronnie James Dio - our
condolences and love go to
Wendy and Ronnie's family -
Ronnie was a wonderful man
and will be sorely missed."
Lars Ulrich, Metallica:
"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."
Kiss:
"We mourn the tragic passing of
the great Ronnie James Dio. In
addition to his powerhouse vocal
ability, Ronnie was a true
gentleman who always emanated
great warmth and friendship to
us and everyone around him.
We will miss him."
David Ellefson, Megadeth:
"He was truly one of the 'good
guys' in this business and a
consummate pro, someone we
can all take a que and learn
from. We are all fans of his and
he did many great things for
Megadeth and its members,
starting starting as far back as his
Dream Evil North American tour
in which we were the support
band during the So Far, So
Good...So What tour."
Mikael Akerfeldt, Opeth:
"I was fortunate enough to meet
him and share a few drinks with
him once, and it's a memory I
will treasure to the end of my
days. He blew my mind, quite
honestly. "Thank you, Ronnie
James Dio, for everything!"
Queensryche:
"Ronnie James Dio was
undoubtedly one of heavy
metal's greatest performers and
will continue to influence the
world of heavy metal forever. He
was certainly a very big influence
on Queensryche and along the
way became a cherished friend
too. We will all miss him greatly,
but Ronnie will live on every time
we raise our metal horns high!
The man on the silver mountain
will always be our rainbow in the
dark."
Mike Portnoy, Dream Theater:
"Rest in peace, Ronnie James
Dio... one of the greatest of all
time. Looks like Dime, Randy
(Rhoads), Cliff [Burton) and
Bonzo (John Bonham] just
scored the ultimate singer. This is
one of the saddest days in metal
ever."
Glenn Hughes:
"It is a very sad day today... I
have lost a very dear friend.
Ronnie was a true Leader of
Heavy Metal... an Icon and a
Visionary... there will never be
another like him. Ronnie gave
me wisdom, and showed me
great compassion when he was
in ELF, all those years ago, when
we were on tour together in my
time in Deep Purple. He was a
beautiful Soul, kind, considerate
and a wonderful teacher."
Nikki Sixx, Motley Crue:
"Ronnie was one of the kindest
souls I have ever met and his
talent was beyond inspirational
to so many of us. I still have this
image of him standing on stage
in front of 100,000 belting out
'Man on the Silver Mountain'
and remember the shivers it sent
up my spine. He will be missed
by all of us."
Arch Enemy:
"Today is an immensely sad day
for the Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
community as we mourn the loss
of one of the most amazing
talents in the genre. Ever. A
master of his craft and a true
gentleman. Funny, smart and
witty. He will be much missed by
the Arch Enemy camp. Dio's
voice will echo in eternity!"
Hatebreed:
"We would like to send our
condolences to the family,
friends & fans of Ronnie James
Dio. A true heavy metal legend
and kind soul whose voice will
live forever. We are honored to
have shared the stage with him."