They always say there is a great woman behind every man and that couldn’t be more true with Wendy Dio, wife of the late great Ronnie James Dio. The legendary front man who spent time fronting the bands Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Rainbow, Elf, and Dio. Ronnie James Dio is the man who popularized the metal horns we all throw in the air to show our love and support. Wendy and Ronnie were married in 1975 and in addition to being his loving wife she was also his manager as well. In the 80’s, she managed the Los Angeles rock bands Rough Cutt, and Hellion. In 2009 Ronnie James Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer. At the time Dio had just began working with Heaven & Hell again. The following year in 2010, Heaven & Hell announced they were canceling all summer dates as a result of Dio’s illness. Unfortunately we lost our great metal warrior on May 16, 2010. His last live performance was with Heaven & Hell on August 29, 2009, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Since his death Wendy has kept his name alive by forming The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable fund dedicated to support cancer prevention research, raise awareness and educate the public. It’s not surprising that Dio himself was a very charitable person as well. He was a passionate supporter and contributor to charitable work, including his commitment to “Children of the Night” for over 25 years, as well as numerous animal charities. Thus far has The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund has raised 2 million dollars. Some of the ways in the past they have raised funds is the Ride For Ronnie which is on it’s 4th year this year which will feature Steven Adler’s All Star Band, Dio Disciples, Beasto Blanco and more. Last year’s ride raised over $40,000. They have also started an annual Bowl For Ronnie event as well. You can check out information about the Ride For Ronnie and other events here.
This week on Talk Toomey: The Metal Nexus Podcast host Joshua Toomey welcomes Wendy Dio marking her 3rd time appearing on the podcast. Wendy talks about the work that The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund has done, their upcoming Ride For Ronnie event, and who the best bowlers were at the recent Bowl For Ronnie event. Wendy also talks about her late husbands love for music and his relationship with the band Tenacious D, who wrote a song about the late great icon after his passing. Wendy also is posed with the question of who would win in a fight between herself and Sharon Osbourne. She also talks about the Ronnie James Dio hologram that has been making it’s rounds and that they are also making a new one, and she says “Don’t Judge It Until You’ve Seen It”, and mentions a lot of fans have thanked her for making it possible to see Ronnie perform again. You can listen to the entire interview below, and you can get information on aiding in the charity here.
