The voice of Ronnie James Dio looms large over the hard rock and heavy metal community, even some twelve years after his untimely passing at the age of 67. That growl, delivery, and sheer width of sound that propelled songs like “Man on the Silver Mountain,” “Heaven and Hell,” and “Holy Diver” from the vinyl through the needle, into our ears, and out of the two fingers at the end of extended arms raised proudly in the air in the shape of the devil horns he made famous. Simply put, Dio was among the best, and his loss was profound. That legacy, and how it came to be so, are now chronicled in a new documentary called Dio: Dreamers Never Die that passed through theaters for a limited 2-show engagement in early October.
The film flows like a biography and takes us from the earliest years of little Ronald James Padavona’s childhood in upstate New York though his earliest performances and releases in a pre-Beatles group called Ronnie and the Rumblers, and later Ronnie and the Red Caps, and finally Ronnie and The Prophets, who released several singles. You can hear that distinctive voice on those 45’s, but the well-cut, svelte lad had bigger (and louder) things in store, and after recovering from a horrible after-gig van accident in Connecticut, he went on to eventually form Elf and the racket became more noticeable.
His first real splash came with an invitation to collaborate with recently-departed Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore in his new band Rainbow. It was his work with Blackmore and Rainbow that propelled Ronnie to the forefront, until the spotlight was so bright that Blackmore himself became jealous and, against the premise of wanting to do more commercial “relationship” songs, which Dio wanted no part of, he was once again on his own, broke, and beaten down, but with his determination still intact. While this period is adequately covered in the film, there were only brief snippets of music that could be legally used, and some comments from Blackmore would have fit in perfectly, but the elusive guitarist was no help with either.
A chance meeting with Tony Iommi at the Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood led to a casual studio visit and a couple of unforgettable albums with Black Sabbath (facing down their own futures after parting ways with Ozzy). Dio had struck gold twice, but as things often go, chemicals, money, and egos got in the way quickly, and after a couple short years, the singer was once again unemployed. Both Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler, as well as a rare contribution from drummer Bill Ward, lend deserved weight to this era of Dio’s career, and as the film, and Ronnie’s life, near the end, it’s the reunion of the Dio-Sabbath lineup that bring everything full circle.
As fate would have it, Ronnie found himself ready to take the reins of his career and formed his own band, in his own name, just as MTV was propelling heavy metal into the living rooms of every teenager in America several times an hour, led buy curly-haired Kevin DuBrow in a straightjacket and Dee Snider in full drag leading a rebellious high-school’s youth into the streets. Dio’s “Rainbow in the Dark” wasn’t the hit that those songs were, but with hotshot guitarist Vivan Campbell at his side, he was finally making it his own way – no Blackmore or Iommi calling the shots, no one to fire him. Dio was headlining arenas and making records that live on as some of the genre’s best.
By the time the third Dio album Sacred Heart was released and the band was on tour, Campbell wanted a bigger piece of the pie, and was also looking for what Blackmore wanted – more commercial, melodic “relationship” driven songs that might yield a hit. Dio wasn’t open to that direction or Campbell’s demand for a raise, so they parted ways, a point of serious contention to this day on both sides, so much so that Vivian wasn’t asked to participate, and if there’s one flaw in this film, it’s his absence. He is arguably as important to Dio’s story as the guitarists before, and his voice is missed.
The film covers Hear ‘n Aid – the Dio/Campbell/Jimmy Bain-penned metal version of “We Are the World,” in a response to the cold but predictable invitations that must’ve gotten lost in the mail when the MTV pop world united to send aid to Africa. Hearing Dio tell Rob Halford, “You can do it better” and Don Dokken (when he could still sing) basically fawning over the fact he couldn’t believe Dio was producing him were both testaments to how respected he was by this point.
The documentary works on every level. It’s funny at times, goosebump-inducing at others. When Iommi recalls writing “Children of the Sea” and starts picking that intro and you hear Ronnie’s vocal come in, you can’t help but just skip a breath. And of course, as they cover Ronnie’s last days, it’s heartbreaking, especially after you’ve just been pummeled with the story of not only an amazing talent, but in virtually every respect, a wonderful human as well. If you don’t get a lump in your throat, well… you’re not paying attention.
Contributions from several key players propel it along – Halford, Rudy Sarzo, Roger Glover, Jeff Pilson, Lita Ford, and close friend and heavy-metal flag bearer Eddie Trunk all add to the story. Sebastian Back and Jack Black provide a humorous super-fan angle too, but it’s Ronnie’s wife and manager (and film co-producer) Wendy that really tells the story, and she had a front row seat for most of it. Wendy Dio comes off as sincere and honest, and with a genuine love of Ronnie, and a respect for his gift and a dedication to his need to share it. The movie seems to spend the perfect amount of time on the right things, avoiding the temptation to tell the story around a post-humus tribute event or an awkward collaboration between unfamiliar and reluctant participants. None of that here; just great music, words, video clips, and some tasteful, short, and limited in quantity side-story re-creations that get the story told the right way.
Word is that the film will hit a streaming service soon, so plan accordingly. In the meantime, you’ve got a 50 year career and a stack of records to enjoy as you celebrate the life and music of the great Ronnie James Dio. \m/
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
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Twitter: @jeremyportermi | Instagram: @onetogive & @jeremyportermusic
