“You’re just a picture / You’re an image caught in time”
Ronald James Padavona was born on July 10, 1942. The future metal god spent a lot of time listening to opera as a child, and he developed a passion for music. He played the trumpet while in college, which he never completed, and eventually started dabbling in different bands. He also took up the name “Dio,” which is Italian for “God.”
Ronnie James Dio was one of the strongest and most distinctive voices in metal, known as the high-pitched wailing behind songs by Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, his self-titled band Dio and Heaven and Hell. Additionally, he was the innovator behind the “sign of the horns” being associated with heavy metal.
READ MORE: Where Did Rock + Metal’s ‘Devil Horns’ Hand Gesture Come From?
After a 50-year career, Dio tragically passed away in 2010 from stomach cancer. His impact on rock and metal was profound, having influenced tons of vocalists throughout the decades. To celebrate his legacy, we’ve compiled a gallery of photos of Dio throughout the years, which you can scroll through below.
Ronnie James Dio Through the Years
See photos of the legendary Ronnie James Dio from very early in his career all the way until his untimely passing.