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Dio was an American heavy metal band centred around vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Formed in 1982, the group originally consisted of Dio, guitarist Jake E. Lee (replaced by Vivian Campbell for the first active lineup of the band), bassist Jimmy Bain and drummer Vinny Appice. The band's final lineup, active until Dio's death on May 16, 2010, included guitarist Craig Goldy, drummer Simon Wright, keyboardist Scott Warren and bassist Rudy Sarzo.

History

Dio was formed in October 1982 by vocalist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice following their departure from Black Sabbath. For the first lineup, the pair worked with Rough Cutt guitarist Jake E. Lee and former Wild Horses and Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain for around six weeks, before parting ways with Lee due to stylistic differences. Preferring to work with British musicians, Dio asked Bain for suggestions of a replacement; he recommended Sweet Savage guitarist Vivian Campbell, and Campbell joined the group. Around the release of the band's debut Holy Diver in May 1983, Claude Schnell joined as Dio's first full-time keyboardist. After two more studio albums – The Last in Line and Sacred Heart – as well as live release Intermission, Campbell left the band in March 1986. He was replaced by former Giuffria guitarist Craig Goldy.

Goldy remained for just one new album, Dream Evil, before leaving Dio due to "musical differences" in August 1988. After "hundreds" of submissions from guitarists worldwide, Rowan Robertson was chosen as Goldy's replacement in May 1989. A few months later, Bain and Schnell were replaced by Teddy Cook and Jens Johansson, respectively. In December, Appice also left Dio, with Simon Wright leaving AC/DC to take his place early the next year. The new lineup recorded and released their only album Lock Up the Wolves in 1990. The following January, Dio returned to Black Sabbath.

By November 1992, Dio and Appice had left Black Sabbath for a second time. They reformed Dio and added new guitarist Tracy G and bassist Jeff Pilson early the following year, after initially working with original member Bain. After recording Strange Highways, the group returned to a five-piece with the addition of Scott Warren on keyboards. Pilson remained until the end of the album's tour in late 1994, when he rejoined Dokken, although he contributed to the 1996 release Angry Machines. Larry "Bones" Dennison replaced him for the next tour, which spawned the live release Inferno: Last in Live. In February 1997, Appice was replaced for a run of shows by James Kottak, after being hospitalised for pneumonia. He was also next to leave Dio permanently, when he toured with Black Sabbath from June 1998.

Appice was replaced, again, by Simon Wright. The following year, former members Goldy and Bain also returned. Again, Goldy only lasted one album – 2000's Magica – before he was replaced by Doug Aldrich in January 2002. The new guitarist recorded Killing the Dragon, but by early 2003 had left due to "scheduling conflicts" with his other group Whitesnake. Aldrich was originally set to be replaced by Ratt guitarist Warren DeMartini, however he was replaced within a month by the returning Goldy. Bain also left in early 2004. Pilson returned to perform on Master of the Moon, with former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rudy Sarzo taking over on tour from July. Aldrich would later return to fill in for Goldy on tour in 2005 due to an arm injury, and again in 2009 due to scheduling conflicts with Budgie.

On May 16, 2010, Ronnie James Dio died of stomach cancer, marking the end of his eponymous band. All four other members went on to form Dio Disciples with former Judas Priest frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens in 2011, while original members Appice, Campbell, Bain and Schnell formed Last in Line with former Lynch Mob vocalist Andrew Freeman in 2012.

Members

Official members

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Ronnie James Dio (Ronald James Padavona)	1982–2010 (until his death)	vocals keyboards bass	all releases
	Vinny Appice	1982–1989 1992–1998	drums percussion	all Dio releases from Holy Diver (1983) to Dream Evil (1987) Strange Highways (1993 Europe/Japan, 1994 US/Canada) Angry Machines (1996) Inferno: Last in Live (1998)
	Jimmy Bain	1982–1989 1992–1993 1999–2004 (died 2016)	bass keyboards guitar backing vocals	all Dio releases from Holy Diver (1983) to Dream Evil (1987) Magica (2000) Killing the Dragon (2002) Evil or Divine – Live in New York City (2003)
	Jake E. Lee	1982	guitar	none
	Vivian Campbell	1982–1986		all Dio releases from Holy Diver (1983) to Intermission (1986) At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 (2010)
	Claude Schnell	1983–1989	keyboards piano	all Dio releases from The Last in Line (1984) to Dream Evil (1987) At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 (2010) Finding the Sacred Heart: Live in Philly 1986 (2013)
	Craig Goldy	1986–1988 1999–2002 2003–2010	guitar keyboards bass	Intermission (1986) Dream Evil (1987) Magica (2000) Master of the Moon (2004) At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 (2010) Finding the Sacred Heart: Live in Philly 1986 (2013)
	Rowan Robertson	1989–1991	guitar	Lock Up the Wolves (1990)
	Teddy Cook		bass backing vocals
	Jens Johansson		keyboards piano
	Simon Wright	1990–1991 1998–2010	drums percussion	Lock Up the Wolves (1990)
	Tracy G (Tracy Grijalva)	1993–1999	guitar	Strange Highways (1993 Europe/Japan, 1994 US/Canada) Angry Machines (1996) Inferno: Last in Live (1998) Live in London, Hammersmith Apollo 1993 (2014)
	Jeff Pilson	1993–1994 1996 (session) 1997 (touring) 2004 (session)	bass keyboards guitar backing vocals	Strange Highways (1993 Europe/Japan, 1994 US/Canada) Angry Machines (1996) Master of the Moon (2004) Live in London, Hammersmith Apollo 1993 (2014)
	Scott Warren	1993–2010	keyboards piano	Angry Machines (1996) Inferno: Last in Live (1998) Killing the Dragon (2002) – "Before the Fall" only Evil or Divine – Live in New York City (2003) Master of the Moon (2004) Holy Diver – Live (2006)
	Jerry Best	1995–1996	bass	none
	Larry "Bones" Dennison	1996–1999		Inferno: Last in Live (1998)
	Chuck Garric	1999–2000		none
	Doug Aldrich	2002–2003 2005 (touring) 2009 (touring)	guitar	Killing the Dragon (2002) Evil or Divine – Live in New York City (2003) Holy Diver – Live (2006)
	Warren DeMartini	2003		none
	Rudy Sarzo	2004–2010	bass	Holy Diver – Live (2006)

Live substitutes

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Details
	James Kottak	1997 (died 2024)	drums	Kottak filled in for Vinny Appice during a tour in February 1997, when he was hospitalised for pneumonia.
	Bob Daisley	1998	bass	After Larry Dennison had to leave a tour early, Daisley took over for Scandinavian shows in late 1998.

Timeline

Lineups

References

1. Popoff, Martin (May 1, 2011). Black Sabbath FAQ: All That's Left to Know on the First Name in Metal. Backbeat Books. p. 368. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
2. "Jake E. Lee Says His Six-Week Stint In Dio Ended Because His Guitar Playing Was Too 'American'". Blabbermouth.net. November 21, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
3. Wall, Mick (July 10, 2016). "Dio: the acrimonious story behind Holy Diver". Classic Rock. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
4. "Ex-Dio Keyboardist Claude Schnell Once Again Denounces Ronnie James Dio Hologram: 'It Isn't About Ronnie Anymore'". Blabbermouth.net. August 21, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
5. Bonacich, Drago. "Vivian Campbell: Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
6. Prato, Greg. "Dio: Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
7. Rene, Sheila (August 26, 1988). "Hear & There" (PDF). The Gavin Report. No. 1721. p. 23. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
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12. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Lock up the Wolves - Dio: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
13. McIver, Joel (October 15, 2016). The Complete History of Black Sabbath: What Evil Lurks. New York City, New York: Race Point Publishing. p. 118. ISBN 978-1631062728.
14. Swanson, Dave (November 14, 2015). "That Time Rob Halford Fronted Black Sabbath For Two Shows". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
15. ^ Syrjälä, Marko (February 6, 2008). "Jeff Pilson - Foreigner, War & Peace, ex-Dokken, Dio". Metal-Rules.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
16. Ruggiero, Bob (July 22, 2014). "Lost '93 Show Reveals "Dio of the Future"". Houston Press. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
17. Devenish, Colin (June 10, 1998). "Dio Delivers Decibels On Live Double-Disc". MTV. Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
18. ^ "Dio Biography Part 14: February 2nd, February 10th-February 16th, 1997". dio.net. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
19. "Sabbath Drummer's Heart Attack Confirmed". MTV. May 26, 1998. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
20. "Drummer Simon Wright On AC/DC, Ronnie James Dio And Dio Disciples". Blabbermouth.net. August 17, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
21. Rivadavia, Eduardo (March 21, 2015). "15 Years Ago: Dio Unveils 'Magica'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
22. Adams, Bret. "Magica - Dio: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
23. "Dio Part Ways With Goldy, Enlist Aldrich". Blabbermouth.net. January 18, 2002. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
24. "Doug Aldrich Confirms Departure From Dio". Blabbermouth.net. May 5, 2003. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
25. "Ratt Guitarist Joins Dio!". Blabbermouth.net. April 30, 2003. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
26. "Craig Goldy Rejoins Dio!". Blabbermouth.net. May 24, 2003. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
27. "It's Official: Jimmy Bain Exits Dio". Blabbermouth.net. March 4, 2004. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
28. "Bassist Rudy Sarzo Joins Dio". Blabbermouth.net. April 23, 2004. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
29. "Management: Guitarist Doug Aldrich Not Yet A Permanent Member Of Dio". Blabbermouth.net. October 25, 2005. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
30. "Doug Aldrich To Fill In For Craig Goldy On Dio's European Tour". Blabbermouth.net. September 11, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
31. Harris, Chris (May 16, 2010). "Metal Icon Ronnie James Dio Dead at 67 After Cancer Battle". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
32. "Former Dio Members To Join Forces With Tim 'Ripper' Owens To Perform As Dio Disciples". Blabbermouth.net. March 18, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
33. "Last In Line Featuring Former Dio Members Sign With Frontiers". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. October 17, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
34. "CHUCK GARRIC: Playing With RONNIE JAMES DIO Launched My Whole Career". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. May 20, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
35. "Dio Biography Part 19: October 23, 1998-November 11, 1998". dio.net. Retrieved May 3, 2019.

External links

• Ronnie James Dio official website

• Dio (band) members
• Lists of members by band