Editing Ronnie James Dio (section)

==Career==
===Early career===
Dio's musical career began in 1957, when he and several Cortland, New York, musicians formed the band The Vegas Kings. The group's lineup consisted of Dio on bass guitar, Billy DeWolfe on lead vocals, Nick Pantas on guitar, Tom Rogers on drums and Jack Musci on saxophone. The band changed its name to Ronnie and the Rumblers. In 1958, the band again changed its name to Ronnie and the Redcaps. Musci left the band in 1960 and a new guitarist, Dick Botoff, joined the lineup. The band released two singles: The first single was "Conquest"/"Lover" with the A-side being an instrumental track reminiscent of [[the Ventures]] and the B-side featuring DeWolfe on lead vocals. The second was "An Angel Is Missing"/"What'd I Say" featuring Dio on lead vocals for both tracks.

Explanations vary for how Padavona adopted the stage name "Dio". One is that Padavona's grandmother said he had a gift from God and should be called "Dio" ("God" in Italian), although this was disputed by Padavona's widow, Wendy, in a February 2017 interview. Another is that Dio was a reference to [[Sicilian Mafia|mafia]] member [[Johnny Dio]]; this explanation was confirmed in his autobiography.<ref>Wilson, Dave. ''Rock Formations: Categorical Answers to How Band Names Were Formed.'' San Jose, Calif.: Cidermill Books, 2004. {{ISBN|0-9748483-5-2}}</ref> Padavona first used the name on a recording in 1960, when he added it to the band's second release on Seneca. Soon after that, the band modified its name to Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. The Prophets lineup lasted for several years, touring throughout New York and playing college fraternity parties. They produced one single for [[Atlantic Records]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dio.net/biography/discography/Prophets_7.html |title=Tapio's Ronnie James Dio Pages: Ronnie Dio & The Prophets 7" Discography |publisher=Dio.net |access-date=February 6, 2013}}</ref> and one album. Some of the singles (such as "Mr. Misery," released on Swan) were labeled as being by Ronnie Dio as a solo artist, even if the rest of the Prophets contributed to the recording. The group released several singles during the following years until early 1967. Dio continued to use his birth name on any songwriting credits on those releases.

In late 1967, Ronnie Dio and the Prophets transformed into a new band called [[Elf (band)|the Electric Elves]] and added a keyboard player. In February 1968, the band was involved in a fatal car accident that killed guitarist Nick Pantas and briefly put Dio and the other band members in hospital. Following the accident, the group shortened its name to the Elves and used that name until mid-1972, when it released its first proper album under the name Elf. Over the next few years, the group went on to become a regular opening act for [[Deep Purple]]. Elf recorded three albums until the members' involvement in recording the first [[Rainbow (rock band)|Rainbow]] album in early 1975, resulting in Elf disbanding.

===Rainbow===
[[File:Rainbow in performance (27 09 1977 02 500b).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Dio (left) and [[Ritchie Blackmore]] performing with [[Rainbow (rock band)|Rainbow]] in 1977]]
{{main|Rainbow (rock band)}}

In the mid-1970s, Dio's vocals caught the ear of Deep Purple guitarist [[Ritchie Blackmore]], who was planning on leaving Deep Purple due to creative differences over the band's new direction. Blackmore invited Dio, along with [[Gary Driscoll]], to record two songs in Tampa, Florida, on December 12, 1974. Blackmore stated in 1983, "I left Deep Purple because I'd met up with Ronnie Dio, and he was so easy to work with. He was originally just going to do one track of a solo LP, but we ended up doing the whole LP in three weeks, which I was very excited about."<ref name="hotten">{{cite web|author=Hotten, Jon |title=The Dio Years |url=http://images.radcity.net/6340/2165303.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124161532/http://images.radcity.net/6340/2165303.pdf |archive-date=January 24, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 13, 2013 }}</ref> Being satisfied with the results, Blackmore decided to recruit more of Elf's musicians and form his own band, initially known as [[Rainbow (rock band)|Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow]]. They released the self-titled debut album ''[[Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow]]'' in early 1975. After that, Dio recorded two more studio albums ''[[Rising (Rainbow album)|Rising]]'' (1976) and ''[[Long Live Rock 'n' Roll]]'' (1978), the live album ''[[On Stage (Rainbow album)|On Stage]]'' and two archival live albums – (''[[Live in Munich 1977]]'' and ''[[Live in Germany 1976]]'') – with Blackmore. During his tenure with Rainbow, Dio and Blackmore were the only constant members. Dio is credited on those albums for all lyrical authorship as well as collaboration with Blackmore on musical arrangement. Dio and Blackmore split, with Blackmore taking the band in a more commercial direction, with [[Graham Bonnet]] on vocals and the album ''[[Down to Earth (Rainbow album)|Down to Earth]]''.

===Black Sabbath===
{{main|Black Sabbath}}

Following his departure from Rainbow in 1979, Dio joined Black Sabbath, replacing the fired [[Ozzy Osbourne]]. Dio met Sabbath guitarist [[Tony Iommi]] by chance at [[Rainbow Bar and Grill|the Rainbow]] on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in 1979.<ref name="hotten" /> The two musicians were in similar situations, as Dio was seeking a new project and Iommi needed a vocalist. Dio said of the encounter, "It must have been fate, because we connected so instantly."<ref name="hotten" /> The pair kept in touch until Dio arrived at Iommi's Los Angeles house for a relaxed, getting-to-know-you jam session. On that first day, the duo wrote the song "Children of the Sea," which appeared on the ''[[Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath album)|Heaven and Hell]]'' album, the first the band recorded with Dio as its vocalist, being released in 1980.

The follow-up album, ''[[Mob Rules (album)|Mob Rules]]'' (1981), featured new drummer [[Vinny Appice]]. Personality conflicts began emerging within the band. "Ronnie came into the band and he was doing whatever we told him, basically because he wanted the gig. The next album was a little different," Iommi recalled.<ref name="hotten" /> In 1982, conflict arose over the mixing of the ''[[Live Evil (Black Sabbath album)|Live Evil]]'' album. Iommi asserted that the album's engineer began complaining to him that he would work all day long on a mix, only to have Dio return to the studio at night to "do his own mix" in which his vocals were more prominent.<ref name="hotten" /> This was denied by Dio.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Welch|first=Chris |author-link=Chris Welch |title=London Calling|journal=Record|date=June 1983|volume=2|issue=8|page=4}}</ref> The conflict led to Dio and Appice ultimately quitting the band later that year.

In 1991, Dio returned to Black Sabbath to record the ''[[Dehumanizer]]'' album. The album was a minor hit, reaching the Top 40 in the United Kingdom and No. 44 on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. The single "Time Machine" was featured in the movie ''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]'', the tenth highest-grossing film of 1992. Close to the end of 1992, Dio and Appice again left the band, citing an inability to work with Iommi and Butler.

===Dio===
{{main|Dio (band)}}
Wanting to continue together as a band, Dio and Appice formed the eponymous heavy metal band Dio in 1982. [[Vivian Campbell]] played guitar and [[Jimmy Bain]] played bass, the latter of whom Dio had known since his time with Rainbow. Their 1983 debut album, ''[[Holy Diver]]'', included the hit singles "[[Rainbow in the Dark]]" and "[[Holy Diver (song)|Holy Diver]]", which have remained the band's signature songs.

The band added keyboardist [[Claude Schnell]] and recorded two more full-length studio albums with this lineup, ''[[The Last in Line]]'' (1984) and ''[[Sacred Heart (Dio album)|Sacred Heart]]'' (1985). A 1984 live recording, ''[[A Special from the Spectrum]]'', was filmed during the band's second world tour and released in [[VHS]] format only. The band changed members over the years, eventually leaving Dio as the only original member in 1990. Except for a few breaks, the band was constantly touring or recording. They released 10 albums, with ''[[Master of the Moon]]'' being the last one, recorded in 2004.

===Heaven & Hell===
{{main|Heaven & Hell (band)}}
[[Image:Dio throwing Horns.jpg|thumb|Dio "[[sign of the horns|throwing horns]]", a gesture commonly used by both artists and fans of heavy metal music]]
In October 2006, Dio joined Black Sabbath members [[Tony Iommi]], [[Geezer Butler]] and former Black Sabbath drummer [[Vinny Appice]] to tour under the moniker Heaven & Hell, the title of the first Dio-era Black Sabbath album. They chose the name Heaven & Hell as Iommi and Butler were still in Black Sabbath with Osbourne and felt it was best to use a different moniker for the Dio version of the band. Original Black Sabbath drummer [[Bill Ward (musician)|Bill Ward]] was to be involved in this project, but later withdrew.

In 2007, the band recorded three new songs under the Black Sabbath name for the compilation album ''[[Black Sabbath: The Dio Years]]''.

In 2008, the band completed a 98-date world tour. The band released one album under the Heaven & Hell name, ''[[The Devil You Know (Heaven & Hell album)|The Devil You Know]]'', to critical and commercial acclaim. They also had planned to release a follow-up in 2010.

===Other projects===
In 1974, Dio sang on the [[Roger Glover]] conducted and produced concept album ''[[The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast]]''. Along with other guest-singers, the album featured [[Deep Purple]] alumni [[Glenn Hughes (English singer)|Glenn Hughes]] and [[David Coverdale]]. Dio provided vocals for the songs "Homeward", "Sitting in a Dream" and the UK single ''[[Love Is All (Roger Glover song)|Love Is All]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nightflight.com/the-butterfly-ball-and-the-grasshoppers-feast-remembering-ronnie-james-dios-psychedelic-childrens-song-love-is-all/|title="The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast": Remembering Dio's psychedelic children's song "Love is All"|language=en-US|access-date=April 4, 2019|archive-date=September 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902072447/http://nightflight.com/the-butterfly-ball-and-the-grasshoppers-feast-remembering-ronnie-james-dios-psychedelic-childrens-song-love-is-all/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/whitaker_harold.htm|title=Harold Whitaker|website=lambiek.net|language=en|access-date=June 12, 2019}}</ref>

In 1980, Dio made vocal contributions to Kerry Livgren's Christian themed progressive rock album [[Seeds of Change (album)|Seeds of Change]], where he sang on the tracks "Live For the King" and "The Mask of the Great Deceiver."

In 1985, Dio contributed to the metal world's answer to [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]] and [[USA for Africa]] with the [[Hear 'n Aid]] project. With a heavy metal all-star ensemble—the brainchild of his fellow Dio bandmates Campbell and Bain—he sang some of the vocals on the single "Stars" and an album full of songs from other artists given to charity. The project raised $1&nbsp;million within a year.

In 1997, Dio made a cameo on [[Pat Boone]]'s ''[[In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy]]'', an album of famous heavy metal songs played in [[big band]] style. Dio can be heard singing backup on Boone's take of "[[Holy Diver (song)|Holy Diver]]".

In 1999, he was parodied in the TV show ''[[South Park]]'', in the episode "[[Hooked on Monkey Fonics]]", which he later described as "wonderful."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75TCYuq0-Lw  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/75TCYuq0-Lw| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Ronnie James Dio on Reality Check TV (2002) |publisher=YouTube |date=June 25, 2009 |access-date=May 18, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[Tenacious D]] included a tribute song entitled "Dio" that appeared on their [[Tenacious D (album)|self-titled album]]. The song explains how he has to "pass the torch" for a new generation. Reportedly, Dio approved of it and had Tenacious D appear in his video "Push" from ''[[Killing the Dragon]]'' in 2002. He also appeared in the film ''[[Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny]]'', playing himself and providing guest vocals in the movie's opening musical number "Kickapoo."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Jack Black Remembers Ronnie James Dio: 'He Kicked Major Ass' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jack-black-remembers-ronnie-james-dio-he-kicked-major-ass-62715/ |magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 15, 2015 }}</ref>

In 2005, Dio was revealed to be the voice behind Dr. X in ''[[Operation: Mindcrime II]]'', the sequel to [[Queensrÿche]]'s seminal concept album ''[[Operation: Mindcrime]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ronnie James Dio To Play 'Dr. X' On Queensrÿche's 'Operation: Mindcrime II' |url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ronnie-james-dio-to-play-dr-x-on-queensr-che-s-operation-mindcrime-ii/ |website=Blabbermouth|date=December 16, 2005 }}</ref> His part was shown in a prerecorded video on the subsequent tour and Dio appeared onstage to sing the part live on at least one occasion (both shown on the ''Mindcrime at the Moore'' DVD).

Though he was unable to finish writing it, Dio's autobiography, titled ''Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography'', was completed by Wendy Dio and Mick Wall and published posthumously on July 27, 2021.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hatfield|first=Amanda|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/dio-autobiography-rainbow-in-the-dark-out-now-order-it/|title=Dio autobiography 'Rainbow in the Dark' out now (order it)|website=Brooklyn Vegan|date=July 27, 2021|access-date=June 3, 2022}}</ref>

A documentary about Dio's life titled ''DIO: Dreamers Never Die'' premiered at [[SXSW]] on March 21, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zapata|first=Mark|url=https://metalinsider.net/news/official-ronnie-james-dio-documentary-dio-dreamers-never-die-premiered-at-sxsw-film-festival|title=Official Ronnie James Dio documentary 'Dio: Dreamers Never Die,' premiered at SXSW Film Festival|website=Metal Insider|date=March 21, 2022|access-date=June 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Herbert |first1=Geoff |title='Dio' rockumentary film salutes a Central New York music legend |url=https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2022/09/ronnie-james-dio-rockumentary-film-salutes-a-central-new-york-music-legend.html |access-date=September 21, 2022 |work=[[syracuse.com]] |date=September 21, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The film received a limited theatrical release on September 28, and premiered on television on [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] December 1, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 17, 2022|title=RONNIE JAMES DIO Documentary 'Dreamers Never Die' To Receive Television Premiere Next Month|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/ronnie-james-dio-documentary-dreamers-never-die-to-have-its-television-premiere-next-month|access-date=December 4, 2022|website=Blabbermouth}}</ref>