Dio was not a guitarist, but he played with some of the greatest guitarists in hard rock and metal, notably Ritchie Blackmore and Tony Iommi. His work in Rainbow and Black Sabbath led to some of the best records those bands produced, and his own band — Dio — created many of metal’s finest
In addition to Blackmore and Iommi (the latter of whom Dio had been working with this past year in Heaven And Hell), Ronnie James’ solo work was a proving ground for
Dio died of stomach cancer at age 67. He and his voice, one of the very best in metal, as well as his taste in guitarists, will be missed.
Courtesy of The National