Drummer VINNY APPICE Looks Back On His Last Show With RONNIE JAMES DIO - "'Neon Knights' Was The First Song I Ever Played With Ronnie, And It Was The Last Song"
March 19, 2019, 5 years ago
Speaking with the WSOU radio station, Last In Line and former Dio / Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice looked back on Ronnie James Dio's final show, which took place on August 29th, 2009 in Atlantic City, NJ.
Vinny: "It was the last time I ever played with Ronnie and it was the last performance of his life. I remember we came offstage, and everything was cool. We played 'Neon Knights' (Black Sabbath) as the encore. When I first joined Black Sabbath in 1980, I went down to audition with them and the first song I chose to play was 'Neon Knights'. 'cause I kind of knew it a little bit. So that was the first song I ever played with Ronnie, and it was the last song I played with Ronnie."
"Ronnie was really singing his ass off (at the last show). Meanwhile, he was sick. He was only gonna last another probably six or seven months after that. He was singing with actual stomach cancer. It didn't bother him. He just did what he loved. He sang great. He was a trooper."
Ronnie James Dio passed away in May 2010 due to stomach cancer. He was 67.
