The Latest Breaking News from Ronnie James Dio

“My hands started shaking as soon as I began recording. We weren’t talking about it or rehearsing – we were actually doing it”: Vivian Campbell on joining Dio just before recording their classic debut album

Campbell was thrown in at the deep end when he wound up working with Ronnie James Dio on Holy Diver

Guitar World · Aug 20

The guitar genius of Ritchie Blackmore in 5 classic tracks: “There is nothing cooler on record than the dimension-altering alliance of Blackmore, Roger Glover’s bass and Lord’s Hammond organ”

With Blackmore returning onstage with Deep Purple for the first time since '93, we unpack his explosive talents over a handful of tracks (none of which are Smoke On The Water)

MusicRadar · Aug 13

“I lost the tips of two fingers in an accident when I was 17. Doctors told me that I had no hope of playing guitar again. I refused to accept that”: The life and times of Tony Iommi, metal’s indestructible dark lord

If it wasn’t for Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, the world would sound very, very different

Metal Hammer · Aug 12

"At the Troubadour club in LA, they made a grand entrance by rolling down the avenue in a tank." The wild story of Ann Boleyn and Hellion, the long-lost band loved by Ronnie James Dio

Hollywood in the early 1980s: Hellion were in the right place at the right time, but tragedy and bad luck got in the way

Metal Hammer · Jun 16

“I reckon Ritchie Blackmore might have thought we’d made a mistake having them open for Rainbow, as we just couldn’t match them”: When AC/DC blew Rainbow off stage

Warning: never, ever let AC/DC open for your band

Louder · Jun 13

"A 42-piece orchestra, mellotron, and a string thing all playing this half-Turkish scale." The story of Ritchie Blackmore's most epic Rainbow song

Inspired by a cello riff and launched by one of rock's great drum intros, Stargazer found Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio at their absolute peak

Louder · Jun 4

“He only ever said one thing to me about sounding like anyone he’d played with before”: Rowan Robertson on the key piece of advice he received from Ronnie James Dio on how to faithfully play Tony Iommi’s riffs

Though Robertson was only 17 at the time he was hired for Ronnie James Dio's band, the legendary frontman had the utmost confidence in him

Guitar World · Jun 2

“He called and said, ‘I don’t like what’s going on with Ritchie Blackmore. I’m looking for an escape’”: That time Ronnie James Dio offered to front ’70s glam-rock outfit The Sweet

Internal disagreements led Dio to very different gig as he sought an escape from Blackmore’s Rainbow, while The Sweet were grappling with their frontman's drinking problems

Guitar World · May 27

"Noel Gallagher would be in the room across from me." From underground darlings to collabs with Mastodon and Gojira: Urne are the best-kept secret in British metal

After exploring the effects of dementia on 2023's A Feast On Sorrow, Urne decided to reconnect with metal's roots for their 2026 follow-up

Metal Hammer · May 26

“Absolutely essential listening for any would-be rock bass player”: How Rainbow bassist Craig Gruber galloped his way through a hard-rock classic alongside Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio

Having become disillusioned with Deep Purple’s growing love of funk, Ritchie Blackmore jumped ship in August 1975 – taking most of Purple’s opening act with him

Guitar World · Apr 23