R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio 5/16/2010
Just heard that Ronnie James Dio left us at 7:15AM on May 16th, 2010.
One of the most recognizable voices in hard rock and metal for over 40 years, Ronnie leaves behind a legacy of over 40 albums from his main vehicles Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath (Heaven & Hell), and of course Dio.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of the genre, by both fans and peers, Ronnie will be sorely missed and impossible to replace. When not on-stage Dio seemed to be a genuine good guy. Soft-spoken, intelligent, and kind in his manner, I never heard a bad word spoken of Ronnie James Dio.
Ronnie popularized the flashing of the so-called ‘Devil Horns’ as a symbol of solidarity amongst the metal community. \m/_ Some call it the ‘maloik’ which is actually a corruption of of the Italian ‘mal occhio’ which literally mean ‘evil eye.’ This hand gesture comes from a number of old-world superstitions and can be used to both put the evil-eye upon someone or to defend yourself against it!
Ronnie, your soaring voice and kindness of spirit will be greatly missed.
\m/_ skua _\m/
http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/
