DIO / HEAVEN & HELL Keyboardist Scott Warren On RONNIE JAMES DIO - "He Was My Surrogate Father, My Brother, My Friend, My Teacher And My Loyal Advocate"
May 24, 2010, 13 years ago
DIO / HEAVEN & HELL keyboardist Scott Warren has issued the following statement in the wake of Ronnie James Doio's passing:
"How can I express what 17 years next to Ronnie now means to me? He has led me on an incredible journey. I have been blessed by his presence, and his voice. He was my surrogate father, my brother, my friend, my teacher AND my loyal advocate. Our fearless leader. He never let us down. He was never not out to prove it. Because he 'WAS' it. Just a class act. Life without him will never be the same. Yet it is not because of these things that I know he IS in Heaven. But that's another story.I will miss you, my dear friend. RJD RIP"
as previously reported, video footage of singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) covering a pair of Ronnie James Dio classics - 'Children Of The Sea' by Sabbath and 'Man On The Silver Mountain' by Rainbow - on Saturday, May 15th at Akron, Ohio’s Tap House can be viewed below.
According to Clevescene.com, the live set was recorded for future release, either as a CD or as bonus tracks on an album.
Owens issued the following statement about the passing of Ronnie James Dio who lost his battle with stomach cancer on Sunday, May 16th at 7:45 AM PST at the age of 67: "A sad day, just a very sad day!!! We have lost a great human being and the best singer of rock in the world... Ronnie was my hero and my friend, I will miss him and his kind words, he taught me so much on stage and off stage. I also would like so say that my heart is heavy for Wendy Dio, and we should all keep her in our thoughts and prayers. I Do not think of Wendy without Ronnie and I don't think of Ronnie without Wendy, we all love you Wendy... and we all will miss you Ronnie and we love you for everything you have given us!"
