POWER QUEST's STEVE WILLIAMS Pays Tribute To RONNIE JAMES DIO

May 21, 2010

Steve Williams of U.K.-based metallers POWER QUEST has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Well, it's five days on from hearing the terrible, saddening news of the passing of Ronnie James Dio. I wanted to let the news sink in before commenting officially but, in all honesty I still can't quite believe that he has departed.

"Ronnie was a massive inspiration and influence to me from the time I first heard his vocals in the early 1980s on [SABBATH's] 'Heaven And Hell' record. I was 11 years old and here I am 27 years later still remembering that time as if it were only a short time ago. Whether it was with SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO or latterly HEAVEN & HELL, there is no doubt in my mind that we have lost a truly legendary figure and one of the gentlemen of rock as well.

"I had the pleasure of seeing Ronnie James Dio fronting both DIO and SABBATH over the years. I particularly recall two shows above all others. Firstly BLACK SABBATH (supported by TESTAMENT) in Southampton, U.K. on the 'Dehumanizer' tour in 1992. This was an incredible show that many of us who were there still talk about to this day. Secondly, the 'Holy Diver' tour in 2005 once again in Southampton. This show will stick in my mind forever.

"The 2005 show fell on my birthday and my friend Andre Bargmann (former POWER QUEST drummer and at the time, drum tech for Simon Wright. Andre went on to tech for Vinny Appice in HEAVEN & HELL, amongst others) contacted me the day before to ask if I would be going to the show. Needless to say, I was already planning to attend but Andre made some arrangements for myself and my girlfriend to meet Ronnie and the rest of the band backstage, where I was presented with a signed drum skin with birthday wishes from all the guys. This has had pride of place on my studio wall ever since, and will continue to do so.

"Ronnie was so welcoming and friendly, as were the rest of the guys as well, and it was a real privilege to be able to spend just a few minutes chatting and talking about music. It's just one of those things that I will never forget and I'm very thankful for.

"Although Ronnie may have left us, his immense legacy will live on in the wonderful music he leaves behind. Not just for those of us who have followed his career for years but also for future metal/rock fans and musicians.

"On behalf of myself and the POWER QUEST family, I would like to pass on my sincere condolences to Wendy [Ronnie's wife/manager] and all her family and friends at this most difficult of times."

Find more on

Prev More News Next

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).