Free Republic

Ronnie James Dio, the pint-sized heavy metal singer who replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, died on Sunday, five months after being diagnosed with stomach cancer, his wife said. He was 67. The rocker, born to an Italian-American family in New Hampshire as Ronald James Padavona, also led his own band, Dio, whose 1983 song "Holy Diver" is a classic-rock radio staple. "Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away," Wendy Dio, who also managed her husband, said in a statement. "Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We...

Ronnie James Dio, whose soaring vocals, poetic lyrics and mythic tales of a never-ending struggle between good and evil broke new ground in heavy metal, died Sunday, according to a statement from his wife and manager. He was 67.