The Diminutive Dio

Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010), better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American rock and heavy metal vocalist and songwriter Despite being known for his powerful singing voice, Dio claimed never to have taken any vocal training. He attributed his singing ability to the correct breathing techniques learned when playing the French horn. He was widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture in metal culture. Ronnie James Dio has sold over 47 million copies of albums with all of the bands he has worked with.

Dio played in several groups in his early years and had done some recording, but his most sucessful band to that date was the band Elf. Elf recorded 3 albums before Dio's vocals caught the ear of Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who was planning on leaving Deep Purple due to creative differences over the band's new direction. Blackmore invited Dio to record two songs in Tampa, Florida in December 1974. Satisfied with the results, Blackmore decided to recruit more of Elf's musicians and form his own band. They released the album Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow in early 1975. After that, Dio recorded two studio albums (Rising and Long Live Rock 'n' Roll) and one live album (On Stage) with Blackmore. During his tenure with Rainbow, Dio and Blackmore were the only constant members. Dio is credited on those albums for all lyrical authorship as well as collaboration with Blackmore on musical arrangement. By 1978, Dio was already contemplating forming a band under his own name, as he grew tired of his differences with Blackmore

Dio left Rainbow in 1979. Dio met Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi by chance at The Rainbow on Sunset Strip. Both men were in similar situations, as Dio was seeking a new project and Iommi required a vocalist. The pair kept in touch via telephone, until Dio arrived at Iommi's Los house for a relaxed, getting-to-know-you jam session. On that first day the duo wrote the song "Children Of The Sea" which would appear on the Heaven and Hell album, the first the band recorded with Dio as vocalist.

The follow-up, Mob Rules, featured new drummer Vinny Appice. Personality conflicts began emerging within the band. In 1982, conflict arose over the mixing of the Live Evil album. Iommi asserted that the album's engineer began complaining to him that he would work all day long on a mix, only to have Dio return to the studio at night to "do his own mix" in which his vocals were more prominent. Dio denied doing anything of the sort. The conflict led to Dio and Appice ultimately quitting the band later that year.

Wanting to continue together as a band, Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice formed Dio, the band, in 1982.They added guitar player Vivian Campbell and  bassist Jimmy Bain, the latter whom he had known since the old Rainbow days. That lineup recorded three albums, before the band changed members over the years and leaving Dio as the only original member. Except a few breaks, Dio, the band, was always touring or recording. They released ten studio albums,Holy Diver (1983),The Last in Line (1984), Sacred Heart (1985), Dream Evil (1987), Lock up the Wolves (1990), Strange Highways (1994), Angry Machines (1996), Magica (2000), Killing the Dragon (2002), and Master of the Moon (2004).

In 1985, Dio contributed to the metal world's answer to Band Aid and USA for Africa with the Hear 'n Aid project. With a heavy metal all-star ensemble which was the brainchild of his fellow Dio band mates Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain, he sang some of the vocals on the single "Stars" and an album full of songs from other artists given to charity.

In 1992, Dio briefly returned to Black Sabbath to record the Dehumanizer album. The single "Time Machine" was featured in the movie Wayne's World, the tenth highest-grossing film of 1992. Soon Dio and Appice again left the band, citing an inability to work with Iommi and Butler. 

In 1997, Dio made a cameo on Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, an album of famous heavy metal songs played in big band style. Dio can be heard singing backup on Boone's take of "Holy Diver".

 In 1999, he was parodied in the TV show South Park, in the episode Hooked on Monkey Fonics, which he later went on to describe as "wonderful".

Tenacious D included a tribute song entitled "Dio" that appeared on their self-titled album. The song explains how he has to "pass the torch" for a new generation. Reportedly, Dio approved of it, and had Tenacious D appear in his video "Push" from Killing the Dragon in 2002. He also appeared in the film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, playing himself.

In 2005, Dio was revealed to be the voice behind Dr. X in Operation: Mindcrime II, the sequel to Queensrÿche's seminal concept album Operation: Mindcrime. His part was shown in a prerecorded video on the subsequent tour, and Ronnie appeared onstage to sing the part live on at least one occasion (both shown on the Mindcrime at the Moore DVD).

In October 2006, it was confirmed that Dio would be joining Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice to tour under the moniker Heaven & Hell, the title of the first Dio era Black Sabbath album. They chose the name Heaven & Hell as Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were still in Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne and felt it was best to use a different moniker for the Dio version of the band. Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward was to be involved in this project, but he later withdrew. In 2008 the band completed a 98-date world tour.

The band released one album under the Heaven & Hell name, The Devil You Know, to critical and commercial acclaim. They also had planned to release a follow-up in 2010. However, on November 25, 2009, Wendy Dio announced that Ronnie James Dio had been diagnosed as having stomach cancer. He died at on May 16, 2010, of metastasized stomach cancer according to official sources.

A public memorial service was held on May 30, 2010 at The Hall Of Liberty, in Los Angeles. The hall was filled to capacity with over 1,500 people so the remainder of the fans had to sit outside of the hall and watch from a live screen. Friends, family, and former and current band mates of Dio gave speeches and performed including Rudy Sarzo, Geoff Tate, John Payne, Glenn Hughes, Joey Belladonna, and Heaven & Hell keyboard player, Scott Warren. On the screen was an accompanying documentary covering Dio's career from his early days with Elf to his final project with Heaven & Hell. Everybody who attended had the opportunity to view Dio's coffin. The Westboro Baptist Church held a small rally denouncing Dio as a Satan worshiper. What a bunch of disrespectful dicks.