At 7:45 am on May 16, 2010, the legendary RONNIE JAMES DIO passed away. Ronnie had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009 and when he finally lost his fight for life we in turn lost a genius, a gentleman and perhaps the greatest voice the metal world has ever known.

On July 10th 1942, a very special boy was born in New Hampshire, USA. That child would grow up to be the greatest heavy metal singer of all time, a ‘Rainbow In The Dark’ – Ronnie James Dio.

Born Ronald James Padavona to Italian parents, the young Ronnie learned to play the French horn and trumpet, which he later claimed helped with his breathing technique, creating that powerful voice we know and love.

Today, on the fifth anniversary of Ronnie‘s passing, we at Metal Shock Finland are paying tribute to the man with the giant voice.

We have written various tribute articles about Ronnie in the past, an example of which you can see here. So on this fifth anniversary we would like to share some cover versions of songs by various artists, demonstrating what a special place Ronnie holds in the hearts of people all around the world, by each and every one of his many fans, whether professional musicians or music lovers.

This weekend, the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund is holding a celebration of Ronnie‘s life and career, with a charity bowling event, memorial service and Harley Davidson bike ride, plus more in LA, California. You can read more on the website.

Enjoy the following tracks and let’s celebrate RONNIE JAMES DIO today, every day and forevermore!

We cannot post a tribute to Ronnie without having a clip of the man himself, R.I.P. Ronnie \m/