Ronnie James Dio, one of heavy metal's most influential vocalists, was born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and raised in Cortland, New York. He first reached wide recognition fronting RAINBOW alongside guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, then stepped into BLACK SABBATH in 1979, replacing Ozzy Osbourne and reviving the band's fortunes with the classic albums "Heaven and Hell" (1980) and "Mob Rules" (1981). He later founded his own band, DIO, scoring platinum success with "Holy Diver" (1983) and popularizing the "devil horns" hand gesture across the genre. Renowned for his commanding four-octave range and medieval, sword-and-sorcery lyrical themes, Dio also reunited with SABBATH as HEAVEN & HELL in the 2000s. He died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010, at age 67, having left an indelible mark on metal as both vocalist and songwriter.
