Guitarist CRAIG GOLDY On RONNIE JAMES DIO - "I Used To Pray To God For A Singer Like Him To Come Into My Life"
February 7, 2011, 13 years ago
Classic Rock Revisited recently caught up with former DIO guitarist Craig Goldy. An excerpt from the interview is available below:
Jeb Wright: "In 2010 the Niji Entertainment Group, owned by Wendy Dio, released the first of many upcoming Ronnie James Dio oriented releases. The double CD, DIO At Donington UK 1983 & 1987, features the band’s first trip the massive festival in 1983 with the original Dio lineup. The 1987 concert, on disc two, features the lineup with Craig Goldy as the band co-headlined the event with BON JOVI.
On February 15, 2011, the album will be issued as a double vinyl set with deluxe gatefold packaging, and on 180 gram vinyl - the first-ever Dio album to be released in this high quality vinyl format. The album was mixed and mastered under the supervision of Dio's longtime engineer, Wyn Davis. Both versions are must-own collectables for Dio fans as the sound quality and packaging are both stellar.
Classic Rock Revisited caught up with Craig Goldy to discuss his relationship with Ronnie James Dio, from the earliest days of living in his car to saying goodbye to his musical mentor in the hospital. What follows is an emotional interview that saw Goldy breakdown emotionally, twice.
Craig Goldy’s love for Ronnie James Dio runs deep, as does his respect for the music they made together. One leaves the following interview missing the small statured rock icon with the huge voice known as Ronnie James Dio. Dio’s legacy will be kept alive through the words of Goldy, the dedication of Wendy Dio and at the insistence of his fans. Ronnie James Dio was more than a metal god, he was an amazing human being."
Q: Do you remember the Donington gig? You had not been in the band very long when you did that show.
Craig: "I had been in the band about a year. We recorded Dream Evil. We didn’t have many rehearsals for Donington either. I was scared shitless at that gig. There were 80,000 people there. When I did my solo I played my guitar and then had the crowd sing back to me. It is not on the CD unfortunately. I played a lick and then I put my hand to my ear and they all looked at me. I thought, 'This could go either way. This could go bad.' I did another lick and then some people sang back the lick to me. I kept doing it and soon I had connected with 80,000 people. It was really amazing. Ronnie came over to my side of the stage and grabbed my arm firmly and said, “Just remember who you are.” He didn’t want me to play with fear; he wanted me to play with confidence.
Q: A major change had occurred in the band. You did the album but Donington was a huge gig. It was really the new Dio on a huge stage. It was a career defining moment.
Craig: "We were co-headlining with Bon Jovi. We played right before them. Richie Sambora came over to me and said, 'Kick some ass for me.' Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were there. I felt like Dracula in a room full of necks. It really was a dream come true for me. As I kid I used to sit in my room after a beating and listen to Ronnie’s music. Now I was onstage with him playing before 80,000 people."
Q: Was this the Rainbow or Sabbath era when you got into Ronnie’s music?
Craig: "When I was listening to him at home he was in Rainbow; that was my introduction to Ronnie James Dio. I used to pray to God for a singer like him to come into my life. I never thought that I could ever be in his band. I just wanted to be in a band with a singer like him. If you work hard and have pure heart then God will give you the desires of your heart. I am not trying to be all Christian on you and shit as I hate that sort of thing. But there is truth in the word of God and if you live a pure life he will give you the desires of your heart; if I am not mistaken, he sure as fuck did with me."
Go to this location for the complete interview.