Metallica remembers Ronnie James Dio
Lars Ulrich is just one of a generation of rock musicians whose music was influenced by the devil horns-throwing metal genius of Ronnie James Dio. Upon hearing the news of Dio’s death, Ulrich joined throngs of fellow rockers in paying his own tribute to Dio.
Ulrich posted a long, personal and heartfelt letter to Dio on the band’s official website. He expressed his gratitude and shares a cherished memory about seeing Dio live as a pre-teen in his homeland of Denmark back in 1975. Here is an excerpt:
“…When I first saw you in Elf, opening for Deep Purple in 1975, I was completely blown away by the power in your voice, your presence on stage, your confidence, and the ease with which you seemed to connect to 6000 Danish people and one starry-eyed 11 year old, most of whom were not familiar with Elf’s music. The following year, I was so psyched when I heard the results of you joining forces with my favorite guitar player [Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple to form Rainbow with Dio in 1975]. You guys sounded so right for each other and I instantly became Rainbow’s #1 fan in Denmark….”
You can read Lars’ entire letter on Metallica’s official website. RIP Ronnie.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 10:12 am by michelle
Tags: dio death, lars ulrich, metallica, metallica news, metallica reacts to dio death, rainbow, ronnie james dio
