Ronnie James Dio (born
Ronald James Padavona; July 10, 1942May 16, 2010) was an American
heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He fronted and/or founded numerous groups including
Elf,
Rainbow,
Black Sabbath,
Dio and
Heaven & Hell. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture in metal culture and is known for his medieval themed lyrics. Dio possessed a powerful versatile vocal range capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads; according to Rainbow/
Deep Purple guitarist
Ritchie Blackmore upon hearing him sing, "I felt shivers down my spine." Dio sold over 47 million albums throughout his career.