11 Myths About Ronnie James Dio Debunked
Ronnie James Dio was a metal legend with a powerful voice and even more powerful mystique. The mythology about Dio - from his alleged Satan worship to the meaning of his name - only fueled his reputation as a titan of heavy metal.
Through his career, from his days in Rainbow to his role as a replacement for Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, there are many things that have been believed or assumed about Dio. In reality, he was a much simpler person than his music suggested. As perhaps the most influential figure in heavy metal, mythology and misconception naturally surrounds the late singer's legacy and often overshadows the real man - a powerful singer from an Italian family in New Hampshire.
Here are some of the most common misconceptions and little-known facts about the man (not the myth or the legend) who was Ronnie James Dio.
- Photo: Marek Krajcer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.01
He Didn't Worship The Devil
Perhaps the biggest misconception about Dio was his association with devil worship. As the singer for Black Sabbath and the supposed inventor of metal's "devil horns" salute, it's easy to assume Dio had a fondness for the Prince of Darkness. The reality couldn't be further from the truth though.
Dio's religious beliefs were complex, but they definitely were not centered around Satan. In an interview with Heavy Metal magazine about his Roman Catholic upbringing and belief in God, Dio said:
It’s given me a lot of religious turmoil in some of the songs I’ve done. I never agreed with the message of the Catholic church, and still don’t to this day. There are some things that are fine, and what I think is very important is the moral upbringing of the young people. But I mean, you could send people to the church of silly walks, and they’re gonna get that.
- Photo: Marek Krajcer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.02
He Never Used Drugs
Most hard rock bands of the '60s and beyond were delving into substance use and few had a reputation as widespread as Black Sabbath. Surprisingly, Dio stayed away from substances throughout his career. When asked by an interviewer why he chose not to partake, his answer was straightforward.
"It was because I saw how destructive it was, and how it dulled your sensibilities and ate up your talent and your life," he said. In the same interview, he also spoke to the fact that he was never embroiled in any sort of rock and roll scandal, unlike many of his peers.
"I was raised by great parents whose respect I never wanted to lose," he said.
- Photo: Diego Torres Silvestre / Flickr / CC BY 2.03
He Was A Sports Fanatic
In an interview, Dio's wife, Wendy, revealed that the metal legend had another passion besides music - sports. "He was an avid sports fan," Wendy Dio revealed to Loudwire. "He wrote songs watching sports." One of his favorite teams to watch on TV while he wrote songs was the New York Giants.
Wendy added, much to the interviewer's disappointment, that there was no documented footage of Dio writing songs while watching a sports game.
- Photo: MGM / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain4
He Was Hugely Influenced By Opera Singer Mario Lanza
Dio grew up in an Italian household in New Hampshire and has cited legendary opera singer Mario Lanza as a major influence on his vocal style.
In a 2002 interview with USA Today, Dio said:
Growing up I listened to a lot of opera, and was influenced by Mario Lanza. I couldn't believe his incredible voice. I wanted to use that aspect of vocalization in the rock and roll context. I guess that's the connection people see between my operatic style and music as heavy as possible.
- Photo: Adam Bielawski / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.05
He Never Had Any Formal Vocal Training
For someone with such a legendary voice, it's surprising to learn that Dio never had any formal vocal training. Wendy Dio confirmed in an interview with Loudwire the longstanding rumor that her late husband was never trained as a singer, saying that he learned how to sing properly from doing breathing exercises.
How impressive is it that Dio never had any formal training? Try listening to "Holy Diver."
- Video: YouTube
6He Didn't Always Play Metal Music
Dio was not always a charismatic metal singer. Dio began his musical career playing trumpet and bass in a pop group. His trumpet playing began at age 5, and he started his first band, the Vegas Kings, in 1957 - which kickstarted his singing career.
"No one else wanted the job," he said of the decision to take on vocals. "It wasn't my plan at all to lead the band."
Over the following years, Dio would be part of groups such as Ronnie & the Redcaps, Ronnie Dio & the Prophets and the Electric Elves before forming Rainbow with Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore in 1975.
- Photo: Helge Øverås / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.07
His Stage Name Wasn't Derived From 'God'
Contrary to popular belief, Dio did not get his legendary stage name from the Italian word for "God." It's an easy misconception, as he began using the name with his band Ronnie Dio & the Prophets.
The name actually comes from the Italian mobster Giovanni Ignazio Dioguardi, who went by the name of Johnny Dio.
- Photo: Diego Torres Silvestre / Flickr / CC BY 2.08
He Was Accused By Black Sabbath Members Of Turning His Vocals Up In The Studio
One rumor about Dio that was seemingly put to rest by his wife was a story told by his Black Sabbath bandmates that involved the singer sneaking into the recording studio in the middle of the night and turning his vocals up behind the rest of the band's backs.
The incident was alleged to have taken place when the band was mixing their live album Live Evil, which was released in 1982. Wendy Dio denied the accusations.
"They did think that. It wasn't true that Ronnie did that," she said.
- Photo: Stefan Krause / Wikimedia Commons / Free Art License 1.39
He May Have Invented The Devil Horns Hand Sign
Although Gene Simmons of KISS would have you believe differently, it's widely accepted that Dio pioneered the devil horns hand sign that he became famous for flashing and later came to represent heavy metal music.
"Ronnie told me the story. He said it was his grandmother [who] used to… It was called the ‘evil eye,'" Dio's former drummer Tommy Aldrich said in an interview with NME. Dio himself downplayed the notion that he made the gesture up himself, while Simmons was so sure it was his creation that he attempted to trademark it.
"To try to make money off of something like this is disgusting. It belongs to everyone; it doesn’t belong to anyone… It’s a public domain; it shouldn’t be trademarked," Wendy Dio said of Simmons's efforts.
- Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.010
Despite His Intense Persona, He Was One Of The Nice Guys
Although Dio exuded a dark onstage personality and an image that encapsulated the heavy metal aesthetic, the singer was remembered after his passing as one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.
As Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian told MTV:
Ronnie was the nicest man in metal. Every day on tour, he'd have a kind word, a smile and a clap on the back. I feel honored and privileged to even have shaken hands with Ronnie, let alone be able to say we were friends.
That sentiment was echoed by others following Dio's passing from cancer in 2010.
- Video: YouTube
11His Family Auctioned Off 666 Of His Personal Belongings After His Passing
A massive collection of Dio's personal belongings were put up for auction at Julien's Auction in New York City in 2018. The auction featured 666 items, including an animatronic sphinx from Dio's 1984 The Last In Line tour, an animatronic dragon's head from the 1985 Sacred Heart tour, and "a personalized Black Sabbath hooded velour robe from the 1981 Mob Rules tour worn regularly backstage."
The most expensive item? The original Barry Jackson painting used for the cover of The Last In Line was expected to fetch $20,000 to $30,000.
