ROB HALFORD Remembers RONNIE JAMES DIO – “His Voice Is Still With Us, As It Always Will Be”
May 15, 2020, 4 years ago
May 16, 2020 marks 10 years since Ronnie James Dio’s death and Billboard has shared remembrances from those in the rock and metal community such as Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, drummer and bandmate Vinny Appice, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, and more.
Halford comments: “Ronnie was a mentor to me as far as his solid professionalism musically. He gave 100% onstage, songwriting, producing and recording. I would watch and learn as he would interact with his fans, giving each one time, knowing that those moments live forever for them.
“His voice is still with us, as it always will be, and the power and honesty in it will always give me a thrill and a chill. As a fellow singer, his standalone voice means everything, possessing such uniqueness with instant recognition — 10 years or 100 years, it doesn’t really matter. Ronnie and all we love about him is eternal.”
Scorpions’ Klaus Meine: “Many times back in the 1980s, fans would think I was Ronnie while I was walking by in airports: ‘Hey, are you …?’ And I said with a laugh, ‘Yes, I am Ronnie,’ before I told them my real name.
“Whenever my friend Ronnie and I would meet up, we had a laugh and called ourselves The Everly Brothers of the ’80s. He was such a wonderful guy and an amazing singer and performer. There was only one Ronnie James Dio. I miss you, brother.”
