I’ll cut a bitch who disagrees. 
Still not my style of music, but I always thought anyone whose first name is Ronnie and whose last name is Dio, has to be cool. The middle name’s the frosting on that cake. I worked with a guy who was in a hairmetal band that had a medium high profile in the 80s, and he loved RJD. And Yngwe Malmsteen, the other coolest name in metal. I turned him onto Prince; he was surprised at how good a guitarist Prince was.
Ronnie James Dio was a fucking God in the 80’s. The guy is like 5-foot-4 and old enough to collect Social Security Retirement, still tours and he still has great pipes.
Even if Dio is starting to look like Gollum now, I like this performance better:
Tough little bastard manhandled that guy off stage.
Aw, crap! I didn’t know he had cancer.
Be well, Ronnie!
:: makes devil horns to ward off the evil cancer ::
I saw Heaven and Hell (which is what Black Sabbath + Dio is calling itself these days) live in October and can confirm from firsthand experience that Dio still rocks.
I was just taking my 11-year-old son and a buddy of his home from soccer. I asked them if they wanted to just hang out and talk or listen to metal on the way home. “May we listen to metal please?” Ah, kids.
I cued up The Last in Line and it started up with the fingerpicky part. “Mr. WordMan? Um, this isn’t metal…” “wait for it” “…it still isn’t metal” “wait for it”
RJD: “…we are coming…HOME!!!”
“Cooooool.” 
I thought “my work here is done” and drove 'em home. My son and I will occasionally point at each other and say “No, YOU are the throw before the toss!” 
RJD’s lyrics are just all kinds of awesome.
I’ve gotten my 3.5 year old to throw the metal horns while listening to Priest. It’s so cute when she asks if we do it now, and I tell her no we have to wait. Then one day I did it while driving and she said “No daddy, you can’t do that at the end of the song!”
I saw Heaven and Hell a couple of years ago, I wanted to go again last year but just couldn’t make it.
Ronnie has inspired many a young rocker. From “The Pick of Destiny”:
You say this as if there is some dispute.
I agree he’s a god but what about Tony Iommi? Forty years later and guitarists are still playing catch up with him and his missing finger in the quest for heavy. Do yourself a favour and feast your eyes on this bit of Black Sabbath awesomeness from way back. It’s the first part of ten.
When Rolling Stone did their list of greatest singers of all time they mocked Maynard James Keenan (of Tool) for picking Dio on his list. I haven’t read that stinking rag since.
You forgot the song…
Tenacious D- Dio
It’s a passing the torch song …
Dio has rocked for a long long time.
He basically invented Heavy Metal as we know it today. He is totally revered in guitar circles.
RJD blew out my left eardrum when I was 17. Holy Diver tour, Hammersmith Odeon, London.
He’s a bastard.