| Name |
Ronnie James Dio |
| Height |
|
| Naionality |
American |
| Date of Birth |
July 10, 1942 |
| Place of Birth |
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States |
| Famous for |
Singing |
Ronaldo James Giovanni Padavona, better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American rock and heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, among others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser Hear 'n Aid. He was widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal, renowned for his consistently powerful voice. He often ranks as one of the greatest vocalists of all time. His idol was Mario Lanza. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture in metal culture. Prior to his death, he was collaborating on a project with former Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice, under the moniker Heaven & Hell, whose only studio album, The Devil You Know, was released on April 28, 2009. Dio died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010. One of the last songs he recorded was titled "Metal Will Never Die".
Ronnie James Dio was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Italian parents. They lived in Portsmouth until the family moved to Cortland, New York early in his life.
Dio graduated from the Cortland City School in 1960, and was inducted to the Cortland City School Hall of Fame in 2004. He was also honored on November 15, 1988 by his hometown naming a street after him, Dio Way.
During a performance at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien, NY (near Buffalo, NY) on September 19, 2007, Dio revealed that he had attended the University at Buffalo, majoring in pharmacy. He attended from 1960 to 1961 but did not graduate. He formed one of his early bands during his freshman year.
He was offered a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music but did not pursue it due to his interest in rock music. 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 he learned when playing the French horn as a child. He initially played the trumpet and French horn and even recorded several singles with various rockabilly bands when he was a boy.
