The Almighty Eternity meets Ronnie Dio

[JensJohansson]

I hesitated a bit to write something about this, in a way it feels weird to use this sad day to attract attention to myself. Then I realized I also feel a bit strange to not even comment in public.

I joined DIO-the-band for about a year in the early nineties, that's how I got to know Ronnie. Him, and let's not forget Wendy, who is still very much alive. They were a team. When they took me in to the DIO family, I felt a bit like a cold puppy coming in from the rain. I had previously just left Yngwie's band which was a really fun and creative situation, but it was at the same time also tremendously chaotic and stressful.

My time in DIO was simply one of the best times in my life.

Ronnie was one of the best people I ever met, very different from the usual musicians and other suspects in this wretched industry. I think this is something you will hear over and over -- you have heard it before he was gone, and you will also keep hearing it after he is gone. Quite simply, because it's the truth. And especially towards fans. If you didn't realize it by now, you can ask anyone who met him. Ronnie was the guy signing autographs in the cold rain after the point where any mere mortal would have crawled back into bed. It was insane. His dedication to the fans was not from this world. He is the guy that finally made it dawn on me who it is who actually pays the bills -- it is the fans. (Well at least he tried, if I didn't quite learn, that is my own fault)

Well, it could be everyone knows all that already, so what else can I say that you don't already know or could find out from Wikipedia? Since I was a Dio fan myself long long before I even met him, I think I have some perspective.

His voice was like a tank... I never heard him have a bad day. I have honestly never met anyone else like this in my whole life. Even if he stayed up all night drinking and talking, he would still deliver 150% the next day. From his performing, you'd think he was 22 years old, his whole life... but if you look at how much he accomplished, you'd think he lived to the age of 120.

He was very funny. Fond of British humor, like Monty Python. My best memories of the time with him are either him laughing at something I or someone else said, or me laughing at something he said, or any of the many running gags that he created.

His lyrics writing really has depths you don't immediately see when you read them first. Read them again and think.

He was very intelligent. He was without a question NOT some sort of devil worshipper or satanist. He grew up in a small town and was what I would call, just a "very decent person". He had higher morals than most people I have met, and definitely he had higher morals than I have. He just didn't particularly believe in God of the Christian bible, I think. But he was really spiritual and thought about deep issues, a lot.

I never saw him do any hard drugs. He was to me the embodiment of the idea: if you want to get anywhere, stay off the hard stuff.

There was the relentless charity work for "Children of the Night". But that you may have heard about already and can read more about on the internet, just google for the phrase.

I realize this may sound like I'm trying to paint too soft a picture. I am really racking my brains here and I couldn't think of anything bad to say about him even if I tried.

The only thing I can think of is that his character definitely had a surprising bite when something pissed him off, he didn't suffer fools lightly. If you were a fool in his path, and all options of patience, understanding and politeness had been exhausted, then he didn't hold back verbally... beware, fool, you might have two assholes all of a sudden, or your head might be rolling on the floor!

I of course found this extremely amusing (unless it was me who was the unwitting fool, which I think happened like, once.)

I don't exaggerate when I say I feel him being gone is a loss for humanity, but I still try to look at the glass as half full. Imagine if he would have died at 27 like so many other geniuses. As a listener I'm thankful for that grace, and as a person I'm thankful I got to know him.

We will all die at some point, he never beat around the bush when speaking or writing about death. Cancer sucks, and I don't know what I think would suck more, him gone today, or him alive for another year but in severe pain.

I'm also not sure if Ronnie would have wanted us to be too sad. (Of course, a bit sad! I'm not suggesting we go dancing in the streets with joy screaming "lolololololololo" like those crazy Palestinians after 9/11 here.)

He dedicated so much of his own life to bring happiness to other people. Let's mourn a genius and a great guy who is lost to us now. But let's mourn in a way that he constantly wrote about, by deciding that we should live each day, including this one, to its fullest, even if it is a sad day. You don't know if this day is your last day, and if it is you don't know what will follow.

The music he made will remain after me, or anyone reading this, will be gone. So unless you did already, put some of it on.

If it puts an evil grin on your face, then your day is better. That's all any musician can ask from you.

/Jens

[Arkash]

A Legend died yesterday.... enough said...

Thank you Jens for those powerful words!!!

[NeonVomit]

Thanks for sharing that with us, Jens. Truly a legend in his own lifetime, and now a legend forever.

[Rage1979]

A Legend died yesterday.... enough said...

Thank you Jens for those powerful words!!!

Thankyou Jens! We are all very touched!

It is a sad day

Damn... how many good songs DIO did...

[Shurik]

Ronnie was the guy signing autographs in the cold rain after the point where any mere mortal would have crawled back into bed. It was insane.

When he gave a show here in Israel some 4-5 years ago, ~150-200 fans stayed after the show in order to take a picture and an autograph, nothing was planned, just fans behaving as usual. RJD gave autographs and took picture with everyone who stayed, and this was after 2.5 hour-long show and at the age of 60+.
I was lucky enough to be one of those people, I took a picture with him and thanked him for a great show:


It's the biggest loss to the metal community ever.

[NeverendingAbyss]

RIP DIO

I upvoted the news on reddit. Another star joins the moon.

[HinatAArcticA]

Some wise person once said:

"People will live forever through the work they leave behind, and in that way, no true artist will ever die"

Form that point of view, he will allways be there, inside of our hearts.
And I think it's true. He's one of the few chosen ones that will live forever.

[phoenix666]

let's mourn a genius, but i still do it with tears in my eyes...

LONG LIVE RONNIE JAMES DIO!!!

[Eruaistaniel]

Condolences to anyone who loved him, his music and his voice.

[Carcass]

This sucks. Who will now protect us from the dragons?

[shg]

Thank you Jens, you wrote very nicely and honest. It is really great that you've had the opportunity to work with Ronnie James Dio and his wife Wendy. Fortunately, the music will live on.

Long Live Rock'n Roll! \m/

[NeonVomit]

Amidst the sadness, it's also good to appreciate that he's (to my knowledge) the first metal legend to die of natural causes at an advanced age. As Jens said, let's all appreciate he didn't go out at the age of 30 like so many others...

[icecab21]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjZGDOmM ... re=related

heres a video from the studio of the album jens was on lock up the wolves

[Ragehead91]

I think you can see Jens when they do the chorus recordings.

[Intiaani]

It's the biggest loss to the metal community ever.

Well, come to think of it... Yes, yes it is. At this stage, though, it's not important for me to think if there is a metal community or not. He was a huge musician and singer. He was a huge artist. His death touches people even outside of metal music as his talent must be recognized elsewhere as well. I think Dio was an influence to many people that possibly listened metal when they were younger and don't listen to anymore, or even to some who never liked the heaviness in music. He was one of the most advanced heavy musicians ever in my eyes. His style both in songwriting and singing worked, always, for me, from those works of his that I've listened. And he sang and wrote for a long, long time, possibly even longer than documented in, say, Wikipedia. Rarely can a musician be as effective for such a long time as Dio was.

It also seems like age never brought any limits to this guy. At almost 70 years old, he still sang like an angel. Even though this angel was a bit more raspy and bogey-sounding in the end that he used to be, he could shut those (I think new, natural) features out of his voice and sound as clean and pure as in the 70s or 80s. Just buy the Heaven and Hell - Live from Radio City Hall DVD if you don't know what I'm talking about. Actually I think he just managed to add more goodness and flavor to the music with this "old man sound"; I've never heard the ending of Children of the Sea sound so brutal and good as it did in Helsinki last year! I'm proud I finally had the privilege to see the man live in his last active months last summer. Heaven and Hell just blew me away live. The gig must have been one of the best ones, if not very best, I've ever been in.

[ggonza43]

Thanks Jens for your words of wisdom and your condolences to the Dio family. We'll never forget him

[miditek]

Amidst the sadness, it's also good to appreciate that he's (to my knowledge) the first metal legend to die of natural causes at an advanced age. As Jens said, let's all appreciate he didn't go out at the age of 30 like so many others...

The "27" club...Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin, Brian Jones, Kurt Kobain....several others, I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club

[Rebel]

Amidst the sadness, it's also good to appreciate that he's (to my knowledge) the first metal legend to die of natural causes at an advanced age. As Jens said, let's all appreciate he didn't go out at the age of 30 like so many others...

The "27" club...Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin, Brian Jones, Kurt Kobain....several others, I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club

Cobain isn't talented enough to be in the 27 club, IMO. That, and the other 4 all died within a year and a half of each other.

If we are going out of that time period though, I'd put Robert Johnson in that club before Cobain

[miditek]

Amidst the sadness, it's also good to appreciate that he's (to my knowledge) the first metal legend to die of natural causes at an advanced age. As Jens said, let's all appreciate he didn't go out at the age of 30 like so many others...

The "27" club...Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin, Brian Jones, Kurt Kobain....several others, I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club

Cobain isn't talented enough to be in the 27 club, IMO. That, and the other 4 all died within a year and a half of each other.

If we are going out of that time period though, I'd put Robert Johnson in that club before Cobain

I think Johnson is in it (see Wiki page)

[Rebel]

Amidst the sadness, it's also good to appreciate that he's (to my knowledge) the first metal legend to die of natural causes at an advanced age. As Jens said, let's all appreciate he didn't go out at the age of 30 like so many others...

The "27" club...Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin, Brian Jones, Kurt Kobain....several others, I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club

Cobain isn't talented enough to be in the 27 club, IMO. That, and the other 4 all died within a year and a half of each other.

If we are going out of that time period though, I'd put Robert Johnson in that club before Cobain

I think Johnson is in it (see Wiki page)

Well, the page lists "The 27 club"
and "Other musicians who died at age 27"
I'd either remove Cobain or swap Cobain for Johnson, although the white lighter connection is there with Cobain.

[Loli]

such a great and unique down-to earth guy. how many times didn't we try to get him elected for president of the US. he was the best!

[icecab21]

the list is about cultural impact.

[Carcass]

Cobain isn't talented enough to be in the 27 club, IMO.

I beg to differ. Cobain may not have been a very skillfull guitarist, his credentials lie in writing incredibly expressive and emotional tunes.

Being technically mediocre has its silver lining IMHO. One thing I tend to dislike about metal is masturbation.

[ggonza43]

Cobain may not have been a very skillfull guitarist, his credentials lie in writing incredibly expressive and emotional tunes.

+1. I myself am a fan of Nirvana

[miditek]

Cobain isn't talented enough to be in the 27 club, IMO.

I beg to differ. Cobain may not have been a very skillfull guitarist, his credentials lie in writing incredibly expressive and emotional tunes.

Being technically mediocre has its silver lining IMHO. One thing I tend to dislike about metal is masturbation.

I think that Cobain was certainly talented in his own way, particularly as a songwriter. I also liked the snarling disregard that the Seattle bands had for hairspray, spandex, and recycled Van Halen guitar tapping and other gymnastics. Don't get me wrong, Eddie was (and still is) a great musician, but I got tired of hearing him copied by all the other wannabes over and over again. The grunge bands actually got it- and focused on the most important thing- the song, and prefabricated glitzy images be damned.

Getting back to Dio, his work with Blackmore in Rainbow was personal favorite era for him. I was always a bit disappointed that Dio and Blackmore never had a reunion during the later years of their respective careers. But Blackmore was doing his renaissance thing, and Dio seemed busy with his solo career, along with the various Sabbath reunions in 1992 and 2006.

To me, the ultimate latter-day Rainbow would have been similiar to the "Long Live Rock and Roll" lineup of Blackmore, Dio, Powell, and Daisley, but also with addition of Jens on keyboards- at least for one album and tour. That would have totally kicked ass!

But Dio still left an incredible catalog of work, along with many good memories that are being retold by former bandmates, friends, and fans alike.

[Rebel]

Getting back to Dio, his work with Blackmore in Rainbow was personal favorite era for him.

I agree with you on this. WTF is going on here???


I would have always loved to see a Dio/Jens/Yngwie band, maybe throw Cozy Powell or Anders on drums, and whoever on bass.

[ggonza43]

I would have always loved to see a Dio/Jens/Yngwie band, maybe throw Cozy Powell or Anders on drums, and whoever on bass.

Too bad it never happened, but it would have been awesome. Such a pity I haven't seen Dio live, and it's so unfair: I've seen Jens 3 times (with Strato), Yngwie like 4 times, but not a single time for Dio. I'm gonna regret that for life

[Burning Reflection]

When I saw Heaven and Hell on tour, DIO WAS the show! He was pure rock and metal incarnate!


Thank you for expressing yourself Jens. Those were nice words and they further reinforced and soldified the idea that every moment is a chance to live happily even in mournful times. Condolences on a loss of a friend, RIP

[Babylon]

He was pure rock and metal incarnate!

Absolutely! I had the chance to see DIO live only once, during the "Gimme Ed" tour with Iron Maiden and Motorhead in 2003. It's a shame that the set was only 1 hour long, but it was incredible. Amazing how he kept such a powerful voice all those years.

[Crazyniel]

Thanks Jens for the words.

Rest in peace Dio.