Vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (The Three Tremors, ex-Judas Priest) recently spoke with Radioactive Mike Z for KCAL 96.7. He discussed the Dio Hologram Tour, the Dio Disciples album Nirvana, the Flannel Five (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains), Judas Priest and comments recently made by Rob Halford, and more.

Owens on his favourite Dio songs to sing on the hologram tour

"I love singing 'Don't Talk to Strangers' because I haven't sung it in a long time. Oni (Logan) starts off with this little part, then I come in and sing the rest of the song. I really love singing all of them. I actually love opening with the show, when I come out opening with 'Mob Rules,' I love singing that. One of my favorites - I'm not singing it on this tour - is 'Heaven and Hell.' I actually love singing 'Heaven and Hell'. You know, ups and downs, so much feel. Luckily, Ronnie's taking care of 'Rainbow In The Dark'. That's a tough one; Ronnie's a tough singer to sing. We have a new one... I love singing 'Invisible' we're doing 'Invisible' now."

The most buzzed-about tour in the heavy metal world - the Dio Returns Tour featuring the Ronnie James Dio hologram - has come to the United States this summer. The Dio Returns US Tour features a lineup of Dio  bandmembers of 17 years performing aside the stunning Ronnie James Dio hologram.

The official band lineup features Craig Goldy on guitar, Simon Wright on drums, Scott Warren on keyboards, and newer Dio family member Bjorn Englen on bass. The show will also feature renowned metal vocalists Tim 'Ripper' Owens (Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteen) and Oni Logan (Lynch Mob).

This 90-minute celebration of Ronnie James Dio includes all of the great fan favorites - such as "Holy Diver", "King Of Rock N' Roll" and "We Rock" - taking fans on a Dio journey from Rainbow to Black Sabbath, to his own Dio material - with the legend himself.

The Dio Returns Tour will began on May 31 in Ft. Myers, FL and visit a month's-worth of cities, with more dates set to be announced.

Simon Wright says, "Looking forward to hitting the road with this incredible piece of technology and celebrating Ronnie and his timeless music again with his friends and fans."

Remaining tour dates:

June
20 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion
21 - Dallas, TX - Bomb Factory
28 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
29 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl

In August 2016, Eyellusion surprised fans when it debuted the Ronnie James Dio hologram at the Wacken Open Air heavy metal festival in Germany. The hologram was also tapped to open the 2017 Pollstar Awards, wowing bookers and promoters in attendance and creating excitement for the forthcoming tour. Most recently in December 2017, thousands of fans in Germany, Poland, Spain, Romania, the UK, Netherlands, and Belgium experienced Dio like never before via the Dio Returns tour.

For the past year, the presenting team at Eyellusion have been perfecting the production and unbelievable visual effects behind the amazing new Ronnie James Dio hologram. Watch a new trailer of the hologram in action below.

Jeff Pezzuti, CEO of Eyellusion says, "Ronnie James Dio was not only known for his amazing vocals, but also his incredible stage shows and performances. This show is a must see for all fans of Ronnie, new and old. The new stage production we have created plus the brand new Ronnie James Dio hologram have to be seen to be believed. This is a first of its kind metal show! We are celebrating Ronnie, with his live vocals, with his band he toured with for the last 17 years, and with a show that his fans will love! It's an over the top metal experience that will have the fans raising their horns throughout the show! We are excited for everyone to see what we have in store for the U.S. beginning on May 31 and the world to follow!"