According to BLACK SABBATH Online, a new RONNIE JAMES DIO tribute band has been formed called THE SOUTHERN CROSS featuring ex-members of Black Sabbath and DIO, along with members of ASTRAL DOORS, PAUL DI’ANNO and TIM “RIPPER” OWENS.

A press release reads as follows:

When Ronnie James Dio died in May 2010, the world lost one of rock’s most iconic voices.

Shortly after his passing, Ronnie’s band mates in HEAVEN AND HELL/ Black Sabbath reunited with Ozzy, to celebrate their ’70’s material. For a little while Ronnie’s legacy was mainly kept alive by benefit concerts and the occasional cover by different rock bands.

Before Ronnie died, his former guitarist Rowan Robertson got in touch with a Norwegian drummer, Rick Hagan and started talking about doing a few shows featuring the material from his period in Dio, which Ronnie had not played for 20 years. With bassist ‘Arry Gogstead and singer Nils Patrik Johansson the lineup was stable and toured in Norway twice under the name QUEENSTREET. But there was one part missing, and with the addition of 25 year Black Sabbath member Geoff Nicholls, The Southern Cross became the natural successor of Heaven And Hell and what Dio musically stood for in the eighties and early nineties.

This 2012 tour sees the band visit highlights from RAINBOW, Black Sabbath and Dio. ‘Songs like Man On The Silver Mountain’, ‘Falling Off The Edge Of The World’, ‘Lock Up The Wolves’, ‘Don’t Talk To Strangers’ and of course the classics ‘Heaven And Hell’ and ‘Holy Diver’ are all featured in the concerts.

So now it’s time to dig out your old Rainbow and Sabbath LPs again and rediscover the power of Heaven And Hell, Rainbow Rising, Mob Rules, Holy Diver and all the other immortal records Ronnie James Dio left us with.

The full lineup of the band is:

Nils Patrik Johansson – vocals
Rowan Robertson – guitar
‘Arry Gogstead – bass
Rick Hagan – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards

The band has lined up a handful of dates so far for their November tour. Dates (venues tba) include:

November
6 – Larvik, Norway
7 – Drammen, Norway
8 – Bergen, Norway
9 – Rjukan, Norway
10 – Jevnaker, Norway
16 – Rock at Sea – Sweden

Source : Bravewords.com