Dio (band)
Encyclopedia
Dio was an American heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...

. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...

, after he left Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

 with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice
Vinny Appice
Vincent Samson Appice , also known as Vinny Appice is a rock drummer of American Italian descent and the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice...

. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial standpoint, as the name was already well-known at that time. Dio in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

 means "God".

The band released ten studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

s and had numerous line-up changes over the years with Ronnie James Dio having been the only constant member. Guitarists have included Craig Goldy
Craig Goldy
Craig Goldy is an American guitarist, mostly notably of the band Dio.Before Dio, he played in the bands Vengeance, Rough Cutt, and Giuffria. He replaced Jake E. Lee in Rough Cutt and was himself replaced by Amir Derakh in this group. Prior to joining Rough Cutt, he had played in the band Vengeance...

 (most recent guitarist), Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich , is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist, since 2003 a member of Whitesnake. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St.John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, and Bad Moon Rising...

, Vivian Campbell
Vivian Campbell
Vivian Patrick Campbell is a Northern Irish rock guitarist who is a member of Def Leppard and was, from May 2010 to November 2011, a member of Thin Lizzy. Prior to joining Def Leppard in April 1992, he had been a member of Whitesnake, Sweet Savage, Trinity, Riverdogs, and Shadow King...

, Tracy G
Tracy G
Tracy G is an American heavy metal guitarist best known for his time with Dio from 1993 to 1999.His first band was with his father. It was called the Grijalva Brothers....

, Jake E. Lee
Jake E. Lee
Jakey Lou Williams , commonly known as Jake E. Lee, is an American guitarist best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne in the mid-1980s and later in his own band Badlands.- Musical education :...

 and Rowan Robertson
Rowan Robertson (musician)
Rowan Wingate Robertson , is an English rock guitarist, who currently plays for DC4. In the past he has played for AM Radio, Dio, VAST, and Violet's Demise...

.

Origins and Holy Diver (1982–1983)

In 1982, disagreements originating over the mixing of Black Sabbath's
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

 Live Evil resulted in the departure of Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...

 and Vinny Appice
Vinny Appice
Vincent Samson Appice , also known as Vinny Appice is a rock drummer of American Italian descent and the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice...

 from the band. Wanting to continue together as a band, the two formed Dio in October 1982 in the United States. The following May, the band released their debut album, Holy Diver
Holy Diver
Holy Diver is the debut album from American heavy metal band Dio.-History:Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March...

. It featured two hit singles, "Rainbow in the Dark" and "Holy Diver", which gained popularity from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

. Ronnie James Dio and Jimmy Bain
Jimmy Bain
James Stewart 'Jimmy' Bain is a Scottish bassist most famous for playing in the bands Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. He has worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums....

 played keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

 in the studio, but recruited keyboardist Claude Schnell
Claude Schnell
Claude Schnell is a keyboardist who has been a member of the hard rock/heavy metal bands Magic, Rough Cutt, and Dio. He also played on the Y&T album Down For The Count.Claude Schnell joined Dio in May 1983...

 for live shows in 1983 prior to the Holy Diver tour. Schnell would play to the side of the stage on the first two tours before coming out front in 1985. Dio had this to say of the band's origins:

The Last in Line to Dream Evil (1984–1989)

Now a quintet with Claude Schnell
Claude Schnell
Claude Schnell is a keyboardist who has been a member of the hard rock/heavy metal bands Magic, Rough Cutt, and Dio. He also played on the Y&T album Down For The Count.Claude Schnell joined Dio in May 1983...

 on keyboards, the band released their second studio album, The Last in Line
The Last in Line
The Last in Line is the second studio album by heavy metal band Dio, released on July 13, 1984. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 12, 1984, and was the first Dio album to be certified Platinum, achieving the feat on February 3, 1987.In the UK, it attained Silver certification by the...

, on July 2, 1984. It was followed by their third album, Sacred Heart, which was released on August 15, 1985.

In 1985 Ronnie James Dio also wrote the song "Stars" for the Hear 'n Aid
Hear 'n Aid
Hear 'n Aid was a one-off project of the heavy metal/hard rock scene of the 1980s to raise money for famine relief in Africa. According to Ronnie James Dio's MySpace profile, the project raised $1 million within a year.- Background :...

 project, with Vivian Campbell
Vivian Campbell
Vivian Patrick Campbell is a Northern Irish rock guitarist who is a member of Def Leppard and was, from May 2010 to November 2011, a member of Thin Lizzy. Prior to joining Def Leppard in April 1992, he had been a member of Whitesnake, Sweet Savage, Trinity, Riverdogs, and Shadow King...

 contributing on guitar. Campbell became unhappy with the direction of the band and in 1987 was invited to join Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...

. Several songs were recorded live during the Sacred Heart tour for the 1986 Intermission EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 with Campbell still on guitar, however the EP also contained the studio track "Time To Burn". which served to introduce fans to Craig Goldy
Craig Goldy
Craig Goldy is an American guitarist, mostly notably of the band Dio.Before Dio, he played in the bands Vengeance, Rough Cutt, and Giuffria. He replaced Jake E. Lee in Rough Cutt and was himself replaced by Amir Derakh in this group. Prior to joining Rough Cutt, he had played in the band Vengeance...

 as the new guitarist.

On July 21, 1987 their fourth album Dream Evil
Dream Evil (album)
Dream Evil is Dio's fourth album, released on July 21, 1987. It features former Rough Cutt members Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell, and includes the singles "All The Fools Sailed Away" and "I Could Have Been a Dreamer"...

was released. After Dream Evil, Goldy, wanting to pursue solo projects, left the band. In June 1989 18 year-old Rowan Robertson)
Rowan Robertson (musician)
Rowan Wingate Robertson , is an English rock guitarist, who currently plays for DC4. In the past he has played for AM Radio, Dio, VAST, and Violet's Demise...

 was announced as Goldy's successor but further changes were to follow, with Schnell, Bain, and Appice leaving the band.

Changes (1990–1999)

Schnell, Bain, and Appice were replaced, respectively, with Teddy Cook, Jens Johansson
Jens Johansson
Jens Ola Johansson is a Swedish power metal keyboardist and pianist. He is notable for his high-speed neoclassical and fusion style.-Biography:...

, and former AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

 drummer Simon Wright. The new band released the album Lock up the Wolves
Lock up the Wolves
Lock Up the Wolves is Dio's fifth album, released on May 15, 1990. It displayed a complete change of musician line-up over the previous Dream Evil album, including eighteen year old guitarist Rowan Robertson, and Simon Wright on drums who played with AC/DC from 1983-88.-Track listing:All lyrics by...

in the spring of 1990. During the tour, Ronnie James Dio had a chance meeting with former Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

 bandmate Geezer Butler
Geezer Butler
Geezer Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and lyricist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He was also involved in Heaven & Hell from 2006 to 2010.-Career:Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, with old friend John "Ozzy" Osbourne in the autumn of...

 which led to that band's short-lived reunion, producing one album, Dehumanizer
Dehumanizer
Dehumanizer is the sixteenth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in June 1992.It was the first Black Sabbath studio album in over a decade to feature Ronnie James Dio on vocals and Vinny Appice on drums. It is also the first in nine years to feature original bassist...

. After this Ronnie James Dio reassembled Dio once again, retaining only Appice on the drums. By early 1993 guitarist Tracy G
Tracy G
Tracy G is an American heavy metal guitarist best known for his time with Dio from 1993 to 1999.His first band was with his father. It was called the Grijalva Brothers....

, keyboardist Scott Warren
Scott Warren
Scott Warren was the latest keyboardist for heavy metal band Dio and Heaven & Hell.Scott is a self taught keysman, he begin playing at age 6...

 of Warrant
Warrant (American band)
Warrant is an American heavy metal band from Hollywood, California, that experienced success from 1989-1996 with five albums reaching international sales of over 10 million. The band first came into the national spotlight with their debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, and one of its...

 and bassist Jeff Pilson
Jeff Pilson
Jeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist, best known for his stint in the heavy metal band Dokken...

 had all joined. During this era, the band abandoned fantasy themed songs and focused on modern issues. As a result some fans regard the albums made during this period—1994's Strange Highways
Strange Highways
Strange Highways is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Dio. It's also their first album since Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice's reunion tour with Black Sabbath. The European release was on Vertigo, in October 1993; the U.S...

, 1996's Angry Machines
Angry Machines
Angry Machines is the seventh studio album from the heavy metal band Dio. It was released first in Japan on October 4th, 1996 by Mercury Music Entertainment with 11 tracks and in the USA on October 15, 1996 on Mayhem Records but with only 10 tracks...

and the live album Inferno - Last in Live
Inferno - Last in Live
Inferno: Last in Live is a live album released by the heavy metal band Dio. It was recorded on their Angry Machines tour in 1997/98. Released in 1998 on Mayhem Records...

—as the worst in Dio's catalogue, while others view them positively as a step away from the outdated sound of the 1980s. With disappointing record sales for Angry Machines management wanted the band to go back to their earlier style prompting the departure of Tracy G to be replaced by the returning Craig Goldy.

Comeback (2000–2004)

Craig Goldy's return facilitated the release of Dio's eighth studio album in 2000, Magica
Magica (album)
Magica is Dio's eighth studio album. It is a concept album and it was released on March 21, 2000, through Spitfire Records. A 2007 re-release puts Magica together with Killing the Dragon....

, which was regarded by many as the band's "comeback album" and reached #13 on the Billboard independent charts. It featured the return not only of Goldy but of Simon Wright and Jimmy Bain, although on the European tour Chuck Garric
Chuck Garric
Chuck Garric is a rock bassist who has played with Turd, The Druts, L.A. Guns, Dio, and Eric Singer Project . The current bassist for Alice Cooper, Chuck Garric has played Bass guitar for Billy Bob Thornton, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, Don Felder and Journey at the Alice Cooper Christmas Pudding for...

 played bass. A concept album, Magica
Magica (album)
Magica is Dio's eighth studio album. It is a concept album and it was released on March 21, 2000, through Spitfire Records. A 2007 re-release puts Magica together with Killing the Dragon....

features a return to the band's older, more successful sound, while increased use of keyboards gives it a modern feel. During the following tour, however, tensions rose between Goldy on the one hand and Bain and Ronnie James Dio on the other, as Goldy was dealing with the obligations of a family. Goldy left the band in January 2002 and was replaced with Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich , is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist, since 2003 a member of Whitesnake. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St.John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, and Bad Moon Rising...

, whom Bain had met while recording a tribute album for Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

. Because of his late arrival, Aldrich did not contribute much to Dio's ninth work, Killing the Dragon
Killing the Dragon
Killing the Dragon is Dio's ninth studio album. It was released May 21, 2002 through Spitfire Records and was produced by frontman Ronnie James Dio. A re-release in 2007 puts Killing the Dragon together with Magica....

, which was written primarily by Ronnie James Dio and Bain. Killing The Dragon was released in 2002 through Spitfire Records
Spitfire Records
Spitfire Records was a subdivision of Eagle Rock Entertainment located in New York, United States.In September 1998, Paul Bibeau founded, launched and rapidly developed Spitfire Records Inc. from a two-man operation located in his home bedroom in suburban Long Island, New York, to one of the...

 and was well received in the metal community, making the Billboard top 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

. Aldrich would stay in the band until April of the following year, when he, like Campbell before him, joined Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...

, prompting Goldy's return. Soon afterwards, Bain left the band.

Master of the Moon and Split (2004–2010)

Dio released their tenth studio album, Master of the Moon
Master of the Moon
Master of the Moon is Dio's tenth and final studio album. The album was released on September 7, 2004 in America through Sanctuary Records and August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV Records....

on August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV Records and on September 7, 2004 in the United States through Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...

. The album features multi-instrumentalist Jeff Pilson
Jeff Pilson
Jeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist, best known for his stint in the heavy metal band Dokken...

 (formerly of Dokken
Dokken
Dokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...

) on bass duties; however, because of prior obligations with Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...

, he was only available for the recording sessions, and so was replaced by Rudy Sarzo
Rudy Sarzo
Rudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...

 on the tour.

2005 saw the release of the Dio live album Evil or Divine - Live In New York City
Evil or Divine - Live In New York City
Evil or Divine - Live in New York City is a 2005 live album by the heavy metal band Dio, recorded in New York City in 2002. It was also released as a live in-concert DVD.-Track listing:#"Killing the Dragon" – 5:15...

, which featured the same show that was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 in 2003. Dio has claimed he did not have much input on this release, as he had already left the label that released it. Dio toured South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 in 2005. Their autumn tour was titled "An Evening With Dio" and featured a regular set, and then a second set of the band playing his 1983 album Holy Diver
Holy Diver
Holy Diver is the debut album from American heavy metal band Dio.-History:Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March...

in its entirety. The band was purportedly going to film a date from this show in Russia for future DVD release; however, the show on the DVD was actually filmed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England. The audio of this performance, a double CD named Holy Diver - Live
Holy Diver - Live
Holy Diver - Live is a live album by the heavy metal band Dio recorded on tour in 2005. On Disc 1, the band performs Holy Diver in it's entirety, while disc 2 contains live versions of other songs from Dio's back catalog...

was released in April 2006.

In 2007, it was announced that Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

 would reunite with Ronnie James Dio and go under the name Heaven & Hell. The band released The Devil You Know in 2009. Dio said of the album:
Ronnie James Dio's involvement with Heaven & Hell delayed the recording of what was to be the follow-up to Master of the Moon, Magica II. The three year hiatus was briefly interrupted for a 10 concert European mini-tour in May/June 2008, and was scheduled to be interrupted again in November/December 2009 with 22 concerts starting in the UK and ending in Germany.
Doug Aldrich was to have filled in for Craig Goldy on guitar on these dates, who had other obligations. Dio intended to release a new single, entitled "Electra", to coincide with the tour. This would have been their first studio material in 5 years. The band also intended to record an album or two in 2010.

On November 18, 2009 the European tour was cancelled due to Ronnie James Dio's hospitalization. He had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and was undergoing treatment. His manager Wendy Dio thanked well-wishers and said "After he kills this dragon, Ronnie will be back on stage, where he belongs, doing what he loves best, performing for his fans."

On February 19, 2010, it was announced on Dio's official website that he would release a box set, entitled the Tournado Box Set, for limited purchase. The set includes the Killing the Dragon CD, Evil or Divine DVD (PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...

 format only), DVD bonus material, interviews, photo gallery, never-before-seen behind the scenes footage, promo video for the Killing the Dragon track "Push", exclusive Dio cards, and the bonus CD single "Electra
Electra (Dio song)
"Electra" is the thirteenth and final single by heavy metal band Dio. It was released with the band's "Tournado Box Set" in early 2010, before Ronnie James Dio's death on May 16, 2010...

" (which is the last song the band recorded), from the unfinished album Magica II & Magica III.

Death of Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio died on May 16, 2010, of stomach cancer. His wife, Wendy Dio, commented "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."

On November 9, 2010, a posthumous live album was released. Titled 'Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987
Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987
Dio At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 is a live album from American heavy metal band Dio. It was released on November 9, 2010 as the first release from Dio's Niji Entertainment Group label. It features two appearances by Dio at the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington: the 1983 show and the...

', it features Dio's 1983 and 1987 appearances at the Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....

 festival and showcases several songs from the Ronnie James Dio era of both Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...

 and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

, in addition to songs from Dio's own catalogue.

When being interviewed Classic Rock Magazine from the UK, Dio guitarist Craig Goldy stated "We were working on tracks for a new Dio album just before Ronnie died in May. And we did almost finish one song. Wendy [Dio, Ronnie's widow/manager] has been talking about reissuing [DIO's] 'Magica' album (originally released in 2000) with bonus tracks, including this one." Goldy goes on to say of the lyrics, that they were written by Dio when he was fighting cancer, and are "very emotional" and "hard to listen to without a lump at the back of your throat".

On March 18, It was announced that the surviving members of the final line-up of Dio would embark on a project with former Judas Priest front man Tim Owens under the moniker DIO Disciples. The project is set to tour Europe in 2011.

Murray

Murray is the demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...

ic-looking mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...

 of Dio. Murray appears on some of the band's album covers, as well as in the sets for their live shows.

Murray appears on several of Dio's album covers, including Holy Diver
Holy Diver
Holy Diver is the debut album from American heavy metal band Dio.-History:Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March...

, The Last in Line
The Last in Line
The Last in Line is the second studio album by heavy metal band Dio, released on July 13, 1984. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 12, 1984, and was the first Dio album to be certified Platinum, achieving the feat on February 3, 1987.In the UK, it attained Silver certification by the...

, Dream Evil
Dream Evil (album)
Dream Evil is Dio's fourth album, released on July 21, 1987. It features former Rough Cutt members Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell, and includes the singles "All The Fools Sailed Away" and "I Could Have Been a Dreamer"...

, and in a slightly different form on the cover of Master of the Moon
Master of the Moon
Master of the Moon is Dio's tenth and final studio album. The album was released on September 7, 2004 in America through Sanctuary Records and August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV Records....

, as well as on some of their singles and compilation albums.

Holy Diver

Dio's first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

, Holy Diver
Holy Diver
Holy Diver is the debut album from American heavy metal band Dio.-History:Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March...

, from 1983, was the first to feature Murray on its cover. He appears to be killing a cleric, but Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...

 says that's not necessarily true.

The Last in Line

Murray is also featured on Dio's second studio album, The Last in Line
The Last in Line
The Last in Line is the second studio album by heavy metal band Dio, released on July 13, 1984. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 12, 1984, and was the first Dio album to be certified Platinum, achieving the feat on February 3, 1987.In the UK, it attained Silver certification by the...

. On this cover, he is in the background of many people working hard, and it can be assumed that he is controlling them.

Dream Evil

Murray is not featured on Dio's third studio album, Sacred Heart, but is, for the last time in his original form, featured on the cover of Dream Evil
Dream Evil (album)
Dream Evil is Dio's fourth album, released on July 21, 1987. It features former Rough Cutt members Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell, and includes the singles "All The Fools Sailed Away" and "I Could Have Been a Dreamer"...

. He is shown in the window of a bedroom with a child sleeping in a bed, while being haunted by several different scary creatures. Murray's story is printed in the Dream Evil Tour book.
The cover art of Dream Evil
Dream Evil (album)
Dream Evil is Dio's fourth album, released on July 21, 1987. It features former Rough Cutt members Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell, and includes the singles "All The Fools Sailed Away" and "I Could Have Been a Dreamer"...

is a reference to one of the tracks on the album, "Faces in the Window" (the entire album's concept is fears and superstitions about the night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...

 and darkness
Darkness
Darkness, in contrast with brightness, is a relative absence of visible light. It is the appearance of black in a color space. When light is not present, rod and cone cells within the eye are not stimulated. This lack of stimulation means photoreceptor cells are unable to distinguish color...

).

Merchandise

The Official Ronnie James Dio Webstore has created and is selling a baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...

 featuring a red embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....

 of Murray on the front of the hat, and the DIO logo, in the same red embroidering, on the back side.

Popular culture

In 1999, an animated spoof of Dio appeared in an episode of South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...

titled "Hooked on Monkey Fonics". The band appears performing "Holy Diver
Holy Diver (song)
"Holy Diver" is the first single released by heavy metal band Dio, taken from the band's debut album of the same name. Although it only reached #40 on the Mainstream Rock chart at that time, today it is one of Dio's most popular songs....

" at an elementary school dance. Although Ronnie James Dio's appearance is somewhat like himself in reality, the rest of the band just appears as a stereotypical heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band with no reference to the real band members.

Throughout his stint with the Philadelphia Phillies, outfielder Pat Burrell was known to use a clip of Dio's Holy Diver as his walk up music. It normally pumped up the crowd.

The song "Holy Diver" is on the video games Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s is a music video game and the third installment in the popular Guitar Hero series...

and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a 2006 sandbox-style action video game developed by Rockstar Leeds in association with Rockstar North. It was published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation Portable in late 2006 and later for the PlayStation 2 in March 2007. The game is the eighth...

. It also appears as Download-able content for the Rock Band Series, along with "Stand Up and Shout".

The song Rainbow in the Dark
Rainbow in the Dark
"Rainbow in the Dark" was the second single released by heavy metal band Dio, taken from their 1983 album, Holy Diver. It was numbered 13 on VH1's "Top 40 Greatest Metal Songs."...

 appears in "Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...

."

Band members

  • Ronnie James Dio
    Ronnie James Dio
    Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...

     – vocals
    Singing
    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

     (1982–1991, 1993–2010)
  • Vinny Appice
    Vinny Appice
    Vincent Samson Appice , also known as Vinny Appice is a rock drummer of American Italian descent and the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice...

     – drums (1982–1989, 1993–1999)
  • Jimmy Bain
    Jimmy Bain
    James Stewart 'Jimmy' Bain is a Scottish bassist most famous for playing in the bands Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. He has worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums....

     – bass (1982–1989, 1999–2004)
  • Jake E. Lee
    Jake E. Lee
    Jakey Lou Williams , commonly known as Jake E. Lee, is an American guitarist best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne in the mid-1980s and later in his own band Badlands.- Musical education :...

     - guitar (1982)
  • Vivian Campbell
    Vivian Campbell
    Vivian Patrick Campbell is a Northern Irish rock guitarist who is a member of Def Leppard and was, from May 2010 to November 2011, a member of Thin Lizzy. Prior to joining Def Leppard in April 1992, he had been a member of Whitesnake, Sweet Savage, Trinity, Riverdogs, and Shadow King...

     – guitar (1982–1986)
  • Claude Schnell
    Claude Schnell
    Claude Schnell is a keyboardist who has been a member of the hard rock/heavy metal bands Magic, Rough Cutt, and Dio. He also played on the Y&T album Down For The Count.Claude Schnell joined Dio in May 1983...

     – keyboards (1984–1989)
  • Craig Goldy
    Craig Goldy
    Craig Goldy is an American guitarist, mostly notably of the band Dio.Before Dio, he played in the bands Vengeance, Rough Cutt, and Giuffria. He replaced Jake E. Lee in Rough Cutt and was himself replaced by Amir Derakh in this group. Prior to joining Rough Cutt, he had played in the band Vengeance...

     – guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

     (1986–1989, 1999–2001, 2004–2005, 2006–2010)
  • Simon Wright – drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

     (1989–1991, 1999–2010)
  • Rowan Robertson
    Rowan Robertson (musician)
    Rowan Wingate Robertson , is an English rock guitarist, who currently plays for DC4. In the past he has played for AM Radio, Dio, VAST, and Violet's Demise...

     – guitar (1989–1991)
  • Teddy Cook – bass (1989–1991)
  • Jens Johansson
    Jens Johansson
    Jens Ola Johansson is a Swedish power metal keyboardist and pianist. He is notable for his high-speed neoclassical and fusion style.-Biography:...

     – keyboards (1989–1991)
  • Scott Warren
    Scott Warren
    Scott Warren was the latest keyboardist for heavy metal band Dio and Heaven & Hell.Scott is a self taught keysman, he begin playing at age 6...

     – keyboard
    Keyboard instrument
    A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

    s (1993–2010)
  • Tracy G
    Tracy G
    Tracy G is an American heavy metal guitarist best known for his time with Dio from 1993 to 1999.His first band was with his father. It was called the Grijalva Brothers....

     – guitar (1993–1999)
  • Jeff Pilson
    Jeff Pilson
    Jeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist, best known for his stint in the heavy metal band Dokken...

     – bass (1993–1997, 2004–2005)
  • Larry Dennison – bass (1997–1999)
  • Doug Aldrich
    Doug Aldrich
    Doug Aldrich , is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist, since 2003 a member of Whitesnake. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St.John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, and Bad Moon Rising...

     – guitar (2001–2004, 2005–2006)
  • Rudy Sarzo
    Rudy Sarzo
    Rudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...

     – bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

     (2005–2010)


Touring members
  • Chuck Garric
    Chuck Garric
    Chuck Garric is a rock bassist who has played with Turd, The Druts, L.A. Guns, Dio, and Eric Singer Project . The current bassist for Alice Cooper, Chuck Garric has played Bass guitar for Billy Bob Thornton, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, Don Felder and Journey at the Alice Cooper Christmas Pudding for...

     – bass (2000–2001)
  • Jerry Best (1995)
  • Bob Daisley
    Bob Daisley
    Robert John "Bob" Daisley is an Australian musician, bassist and lyricist who has performed in genres of rock, blues, R&B, hard rock and metal.-Early career:...

     (1998)

Timeline

DIO Disciples

  • Tim Owens – vocals
    Singing
    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

  • Craig Goldy
    Craig Goldy
    Craig Goldy is an American guitarist, mostly notably of the band Dio.Before Dio, he played in the bands Vengeance, Rough Cutt, and Giuffria. He replaced Jake E. Lee in Rough Cutt and was himself replaced by Amir Derakh in this group. Prior to joining Rough Cutt, he had played in the band Vengeance...

     – guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

  • James Lomenzo
    James Lomenzo
    James "JLo" LoMenzo is a metal bassist known for his roles as a former member of White Lion and Megadeth. He is also known for his work in Black Label Society .-Past bands and other works :...

     – bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

  • Simon Wright – drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

  • Scott Warren
    Scott Warren
    Scott Warren was the latest keyboardist for heavy metal band Dio and Heaven & Hell.Scott is a self taught keysman, he begin playing at age 6...

     – keyboard
    Keyboard instrument
    A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

    s


With:
  • Toby Jepson
    Toby Jepson
    Toby Jepson is a singer, songwriter and was lead vocalist and guitarist in the British rock band, Little Angels between the years of 1984 and 1994...

     - Additional vocals

Discography

  • Holy Diver
    Holy Diver
    Holy Diver is the debut album from American heavy metal band Dio.-History:Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March...

    (1983)
  • The Last in Line
    The Last in Line
    The Last in Line is the second studio album by heavy metal band Dio, released on July 13, 1984. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 12, 1984, and was the first Dio album to be certified Platinum, achieving the feat on February 3, 1987.In the UK, it attained Silver certification by the...

    (1984)
  • Sacred Heart (1985)
  • Dream Evil
    Dream Evil (album)
    Dream Evil is Dio's fourth album, released on July 21, 1987. It features former Rough Cutt members Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell, and includes the singles "All The Fools Sailed Away" and "I Could Have Been a Dreamer"...

    (1987)
  • Lock Up the Wolves
    Lock up the Wolves
    Lock Up the Wolves is Dio's fifth album, released on May 15, 1990. It displayed a complete change of musician line-up over the previous Dream Evil album, including eighteen year old guitarist Rowan Robertson, and Simon Wright on drums who played with AC/DC from 1983-88.-Track listing:All lyrics by...

    (1990)
  • Strange Highways
    Strange Highways
    Strange Highways is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Dio. It's also their first album since Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice's reunion tour with Black Sabbath. The European release was on Vertigo, in October 1993; the U.S...

    (1994)
  • Angry Machines
    Angry Machines
    Angry Machines is the seventh studio album from the heavy metal band Dio. It was released first in Japan on October 4th, 1996 by Mercury Music Entertainment with 11 tracks and in the USA on October 15, 1996 on Mayhem Records but with only 10 tracks...

    (1996)
  • Magica
    Magica (album)
    Magica is Dio's eighth studio album. It is a concept album and it was released on March 21, 2000, through Spitfire Records. A 2007 re-release puts Magica together with Killing the Dragon....

    (2000)
  • Killing the Dragon
    Killing the Dragon
    Killing the Dragon is Dio's ninth studio album. It was released May 21, 2002 through Spitfire Records and was produced by frontman Ronnie James Dio. A re-release in 2007 puts Killing the Dragon together with Magica....

    (2002)
  • Master of the Moon
    Master of the Moon
    Master of the Moon is Dio's tenth and final studio album. The album was released on September 7, 2004 in America through Sanctuary Records and August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV Records....

    (2004)

Videography

  • A Special From The Spectrum
    A Special From The Spectrum
    A Special from the Spectrum is a live concert performance by the band Dio.It was only available on VHS, although most of the performance has been repackaged on the We Rock DVD, minus the opening track of "Stand Up and Shout"...

    (VHS, 1983)
  • Sacred Heart "The Video" (VHS, 1986 – DVD, 2004)
  • Time Machine
    Time Machine (Dio)
    Time Machine is a video by heavy metal band Dio. Ronnie James Dio made extra narration to every song in this video.-Tracks:# "Wild One" # "Holy Diver"...

    (VHS, 1990)
  • Evil or Divine (DVD, 2003)
  • We Rock (DVD)
    We Rock (DVD)
    We Rock" - Consists of "Live In Concert" and "A Special From The Spectrum" videos, minus a couple of songs-Track listing:December 4, 1983:#"Stand Up And Shout" #"Straight Through the Heart"...

    (DVD, 2005)
  • Holy Diver – Live
    Holy Diver - Live (DVD)
    Holy Diver - Live is a live album by the heavy metal band Dio.-Dvd Track listing:#"Tarot Woman"#"The Sign Of The Southern Cross"#"One Night In The City"#"Stand Up And Shout"#"Holy Diver"#"Gypsy"#"Caught In The Middle"#"Don't Talk To Strangers"...

    (DVD, 2006)
  • Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny (DVD, 2006)
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