What Was Ronnie James Dio's Net Worth?
Ronnie James Dio was an American vocalist and writer who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death in 2010. Ronnie James Dio is known for founding and fronting many bands over the years, including Elf, Rainbow, Heaven & Hell, and Black Sabbath. He is widely considered one of heavy metal's greatest vocalists of all time and is credited with popularizing the "devil horns" hand gesture as seen throughout hard rock music.
Early Life
Ronnie James Dio was born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His family moved to New York when he was a child, and he began playing the French horn and trumpet while in elementary school. By the time he reached high school, Ronnie had already recorded singles with multiple bands. In high school, he played bass guitar in a band called The Vegas Kings. The group was later renamed Ronnie & the Redcaps after he took over as lead singer. After recording a few singles, the group members changed, and the band was renamed Ronnie and the Prophets. The band stuck together until 1967, releasing one album and multiple singles. In 1967, Dio formed the rock band Elf with former bandmate Nick Pantas, and they became a regular opening act for Deep Purple.
Rainbow
When Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore formed the band Rainbow in 1975, he asked Dio to be the lead singer. During Ronnie's tenure with Rainbow, the band released three studio albums, "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow," "Rising," and "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll." Ronnie James Dio and Ritchie Blackmore split, and Blackmore took the band in a more commercial direction with Graham Bonnet on vocals.
Black Sabbath
Dio quickly emerged as one of rock's top vocalists, and in 1979, he replaced Ozzy Osbourne as the lead singer in Black Sabbath. He appeared on three studio albums with Black Sabbath: "Heaven & Hell," "Mob Rules," and "Dehumanizer," all of which were successful.
Dio
In 1982, Ronnie left Black Sabbath to form his own band, Dio. Two of the band's albums were certified platinum by the RIAA. Their debut album, "Holy Diver," included the hit singles "Rainbow in the Dark" and "Holy Diver." The band changed members over the years, but in all, they released 10 albums, ending with 2004's "Master of the Moon."
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Heaven & Hell
In October 2006, Dio joined Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and former drummer Vinny Appice to tour under the new name Heaven & Hell. Named after the title of the first Dio-era Black Sabbath album, they felt it best to use a different moniker for this version of the band. In 2007, they recorded three new songs under the Black Sabbath name for the compilation album, "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years." They released one album under the Heaven & Hell moniker, "The Devil You Know."
Honors & Accolades
Ronnie James Dio's powerful vocals and extended, versatile range earned him many honors and accolades over his career. He was awarded the "Metal Guru Award" by" Classic Rock Magazine" in 2006 and named the "Best Metal Singer" at the "Revolver" Golden Gods Awards in 2010. In 2013, Dio was ranked the genre's best vocalist by music journalist Sacha Jenkins. In January 2017, Ronnie was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History.
Personal Life
Ronnie and his first wife, Loretta Berardi, married in 1963 and divorced in 1972. They adopted a son together. In 1978, Dio married Wendy Walters, a band manager throughout the 1980s.
In November 2009, it was announced that Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He underwent treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and Heaven & Hell canceled all of their summer tour dates. Ronnie James Dio passed away six months later on May 16, 2010.
