GLENN HUGHES Talks About Upcoming RONNIE JAMES DIO Tribute Concert

July 7, 2010

Surviving HEAVEN & HELL members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice will play a very special tribute to their fallen bandmate, Ronnie James Dio, at this year's High Voltage festival on July 24 at Victoria Park in London, England. The musicians will be joined by legendary former DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH man Glenn Hughes and Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, who sings for power metallers MASTERPLAN and has just released his own tribute to Ronnie.

Proceeds from this performance will go to the Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Cancer Fund.

Speaking exclusively to U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine about his upcoming appearance at High Voltage with HEAVEN & HELL, Hughes said, "I had a great relationship with Ronnie — I was the guy who introduced him to curry. And he became the curry king. Whenever we got together, we'd always have this argument over who was the better singer. I'd be saying, 'You're the best,' and he'd reply, 'No, you are.'

"When he died, we lost the greatest of all metal singers. But he was so much more than that. He could walk into a room with 30 people he didn't know and make every one of them feel comfortable. He'd also remember their names the next time they met. And he did so much for charity. His Children Of The Night foundation helped kids on the street, he raised $4.5 million through Hear 'N Aid (to aid famine victims in Africa). He was a saint.

"So, when Wendy Dio, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler asked me if I'd do this special set at High Voltage in his memory, it was such an honor."

Regarding which songs he will be performing with with HEAVEN & HELL, Hughes said, "I've been given 13 songs to learn, which includes the BLACK SABBATH albums Ronnie did, and also the HEAVEN & HELL album, 'The Devil You Know'. We're going down to Mono Valley in Wales, where there will be rehearsals and we'll sort it all out.

"There's no competition here. This is all about paying appropriate respect to Ronnie.

"I'm sure it'll be a very emotional time for all of us, and he'll be looking down at Jorn and me saying, 'Go on, you can do it.'"

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