OPETH Pay Tribute To RONNIE JAMES DIO at Bloodstock; Video Footage Available
August 17, 2010, 14 years ago
Sweden's OPETH paid tribute to the legendary Ronnie James Dio (HEAVEN & HELL, DIO, BLACK SABBATH) at this year's installment of the Bloodstock Open Air in Derbyshire, UK on August 13th. Fan-filmed footage of the performance and frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt's short speech is available below.
Following is Åkerfeldt's issued the following statement when news first broke that Dio had passed away:
"I saw the news last night and I hated them. Ronnie James Dio is gone.... I love him almost like a family member, and I feel empty and lonely knowing he’s not around anymore. He sits on my wall as he has since my family moved in here. Can’t bring myself to hear him sing right now, even though I think it might be comforting if I did.I was fortunate enough to meet him and share a few drinks with him once, and it’s a memory I will treasure to the end of my days. He blew my mind quite honestly. Thank you RJD for everything!
Our collective condoleances goes out to his families and friends and the musicians that were fortunate enough to work with him. I was thinking about this for quite some time, and I think we can say for sure that even if he was taken from us too soon (100 years from now would’ve been to soon), I’m sure he felt happy with his life and what he had achieved. But it hurts though, it really fucking hurts... I can’t stop thinking about it.
There is a massive hole in my heart. Love you Ronnie. Rest in peace."
Your fan,
Mikael Åkerfeldt
