MY DYING BRIDE and VIRGIN STEELE mainman David DeFeis have offered the following thoughts on the passing of legendary singer RONNIE JAMES DIO (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, RAINBOW, ELF) who lost his battle with stomach cancer on May 16th at 7:45 AM PST at the age of 67:

My Dying Bride: "May we take this opportunity to express our sadness at the death of Ronnie James Dio and our condolences to his family & friends. We toured with him and his band back in 1996 throughout the US where he treated us with a great deal of respect, which we shall never forget. This is a sad time for all who knew and loved him and Rock has lost one of it’s great endearing characters."

David DeFeis: "In what has already been a sad spring season, I was further saddened on Sunday to hear that Ronnie James Dio passed away. I always thought that if anyone could...he would be the one...to live forever. I had the good fortune to meet Ronnie several times, and share wine and wonderful conversations with him. He was a truly gracious, noble man, with an outstanding voice and major talent as a composer and lyricist.

Ronnie always made me feel very warm, welcome and wanted in his presence. I was introduced to him by my good friend and longtime Virgin Steelehotographer Gail Flug. Gail had known Ronnie for many years, and one evening when we were at a Dio gig, she said 'hey Ronnie I want you to meet my friend David,' and I began to say, 'hi Ronnie it's so very nice to meet you, I am a huge fan of your work, my name is David etc, etc,..., and he looked me straight in the eye and said 'I know who you are my son.' That totally floored me. I have met many musicians over the years from all walks of life, some who have achieved huge success, some just starting out, and everything in between, and you know, many of the ones who I have come across who possessed not an ounce of the talent, or achievements of a Ronnie James Dio, often wouldn't even give me the time of day, and then here was this amazing man, who has accomplished so much in music and in life, so graciously acknowledging me, and validating my accomplishments. This to me was...incredibly moving and oh so very special. I'll never forget that, or my talks with him about music, history, and the way the world turns.

Seeing him perform with Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell throughout the years was always an extraordinary treat. I personally think that Ronnie was one of the best vocalists to ever grace a stage or studio. His voice had so much power, and expressive feeling and was always so incredibly musical. I will miss his dramatic, metal music, his god-like vocals and enchanting stage presence. But I know that his legacy, his kindness and understanding, and the music he created will live on and on."