Ronnie James Dio died on May 16, 2010, 15 years ago Friday. The metal legend passed away from stomach cancer at age 67.
Born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942, Dio's music career first started to gain traction in the early '70s with his band Elf, which would frequently open for Deep Purple. Through that, Dio met guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, with whom he formed Rainbow.
Dio recorded three albums with Rainbow, and his voice caught the ear of Black Sabbath, who was in need of a vocalist after firing Ozzy Osbourne in 1979. Dio recorded two albums with Sabbath, 1980's Heaven & Hell and 1981's Mob Rules, before leaving in 1982 to form his own namesake band, Dio.
The band Dio recorded 10 studio albums, spanning from 1983's Holy Diver to 2004's Master of the Moon. In between, Ronnie reunited with Black Sabbath for the 1992 album Dehumanizer. He also formed the band Heaven & Hell with Sabbath's Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, which resulted in what would become Ronnie's final studio recording, the 2009 album The Devil You Know.
In addition to his iconic voice, Dio is credited for popularizing the "metal horns" gesture, which he says came from his Italian grandmother.
Following his death, the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund was formed to support cancer research. The organization raises funds through events including the annual Ride for Ronnie motorcycle ride and the Bowl for Ronnie bowling tournament, which have been attended by the likes of Dave Grohl and Tom Morello, among many others.
A documentary about Dio, Dreamers Never Die, premiered in 2022.