BraveWords.com continues to pay tribute to legendary singer RONNIE JAMES DIO (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, RAINBOW, ELF) who lost his battle with stomach cancer yesterday (May 16th) at 7:45 AM at the age of 67.

Dom Lawson: "The most important thing people need to know about Ronnie James Dio is that he was an awesome human being. Generous, kind and smart, he was the most charming and memorable interviewee I've ever encountered. I didn't know him well on a personal level...our paths only crossed a few times, but chatting with him was always an exquisite pleasure, not least because Ronnie had seen and done it all. And what a legacy he leaves...fucking incredible. Elf, Rainbow, Sabbath, Dio...all of it, even the albums that didn't quite match up to those astonishing milestones, is of a remarkable quality. Ronnie really gave a shit about what he did...he didn't go through the motions or serve up half-arsed crap. He lived and breathed his art and that's one of the main reasons why we're all so heartbroken and forlorn about his passing. Listen to Holy Diver or Heaven And Hell or Rising...these are albums that are beyond criticism; platinum-plated classics that will always be an essential part of any metal fan's education. And listen to that voice...powerful, emotive, evocative and full of soul. Everything he sang, whether it was some preposterous flight of fancy or something truly deep, was delivered with utmost passion and sincerity. He was in his late 60s when he recorded The Devil You Know...easily one of the best albums of 2009 and one of Ronnie's best ever performances. To still be making credible and relevant records at that age is extraordinary, but then extraordinary is what Ronnie James Dio was all about. We will miss him terribly. Cheers Ronnie. Thanks for everything."

Robert Gray: "I logged onto the internet on Sunday morning, and heard that rumours of Ronnie James Dio's passing had circulated and were false. I was quite relieved, and hoped the man would pull through. Unfortunately however, cancer has claimed yet another victim. I'd like to express my condolences to the friends / band members and family of Ronnie, who are in my thoughts right now - particularly Wendy, who has stuck with him through thick and thin. He might've been 67, but his vocals were still vastly superior to most if not all other vocalists, and he still had much more to offer the world of hard rock / metal. Whenever the man blessed a recording with his vocals, he gave them a rich, potent and majestic quality that no other could, something that could even be heard as recently as 2009 on The Devil You Know. Besides his special work with Tony Iommi and co., other material he'll be especially remembered for will be early Rainbow, and his early Dio work.

As an interviewer, I only got to speak to the man once. I might sound selfish, but I wish I spoke to him much more than that. I spoke to him in October 2009 regarding the Dio band, who were planning a European trek around that time. Sadly, Ronnie's illness came to late just a month later, scuppering those plans. We spoke for almost half an hour, and he was truly the nicest musician I've ever spoken to. A real gentleman, and someone all other musicians can look up to. That's exactly how you should treat others, especially the fans - in that regard, he certainly set an example that very few others will rival. I could've sat there for hours listening to him speak, which tells you how engaging a talker he was. Despite being a great talker, he had zero ego however, and didn't bullshit - he called a spade a spade, and nothing more.

The world of music has truly lost a giant. Let's all give Ronnie's music a spin, and raise a glass. Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010)."