Ronnie James Dio died today from stomach cancer.
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Last I heard, he had beaten it; that was admittedly several months ago.
Such a shame; from what I gather, he wasn't one for rock'n'roll excess. He took his work seriously, and was building up another generation of fans via the Heaven And Hell project.
His music has been a backdrop to over two-thirds of my life, since I discovered Rainbow, and went on to hear his work for Black Sabbath, Dio, and then tracking down the earlier albums by Elf.
There's too many tracks to choose a favourite, but it has to be said, that few bands today can summon up the power of songs like 'Stargazer', 'Kill the King', or 'Gates of Babylon'.
RIP Ronnie.
From his site;
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.
- Wendy Dio
http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/
- There were rumors going back and forth. This is apparently true...