In spring 2009, just as Heaven & Hell (Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio) were getting ready to put out their debut full-length, 'The Devil You Know,' Dio and bassist Geezer Butler sat down in an apartment in New York's East Village to talk about the making of the disc, the sorry state of the [...]
In spring 2009, just as Heaven & Hell (Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio) were getting ready to put out their debut full-length, 'The Devil You Know,' Dio and bassist Geezer Butler sat down in an apartment in New York's East Village to talk about the making of the disc, the sorry state of the world and the current state of heavy metal. It would be the last time we would talk with Dio, who died on May 16 following a six month battle with stomach cancer.
At the time, the singer had everything to live for. He had just co-written and recorded his first full record with Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi in 18 years, and the band was receiving rave responses around the world. Moreover, DIo and his bandmates were enjoying one another's company like never before. Age old ego-battles and petty grievances had been put aside and the guys were having a great time playing Sabbath songs and new material for sold out audiences who, for the moment at least, seemed to forget Dio was not Sabbath's original vocalist.
When we talked with Dio, he was articulate, animated and optimistic about the band's musical future. Even if he had some concerns about the economy and global unrest, he was convinced that music could make a difference. Not only was it a great escape from reality, the messages within could direct a new generation in a more productive path. Hopefully, he was right. Sadly, even if he was, he won't be around to see it.
We would love to be able to present a full interview with Dio about his amazing musical history, covering his years with Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his solo band Dio, but at the time of our discussion, he and Butler were promoting the excellent album 'The Devil You Know,' and, understandably, that was the focus of their conversation. So here it is, our final conversation with a legend. RIP, Ronnie.
Olivia Wilde
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