Have you ever thought who the first person was to use “Throwing horns,” A gesture that is used at every heavy metal concert? Ronnie James Dio used the gesture, one he learned from his Italian grandmother, a signal that she used to ward off the evil eye. That gesture is now used worldwide to show unity in the heavy metal genre.  

If you don’t know who Ronnie James Dio is, he is a legend in the heavy metal world. He grew up in Central New York, in the town of Cortland, at the base of the Finger Lake region. Starting out as a trumpet player in school band, Dio later picked up the bass guitar when his interest in rock and roll influenced his music taste. Dio started his career at the age of 15 when he played in the band Vegas Kings, later changed their name to Ronnie and the Rambler. In the mid 60’s he formed the band, Elf. By the Mid 70’s, he happens to be friends with Ritchie Blackmore, Deep Purples guitarist, who hired Dio to be the lead singer for a band he put together called Rainbow.  

In 1979 Dio was offered the position of lead singer for Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy Osbourne who had been fired from Black Sabbath. As the lead singer he recorded three studio albums, Heaven & Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981), and Dehumanizer (1992). He then created his own band called Dio, which was a very successful band, he then in 2006 formed the band Heaven & Hell. He was in both bands until his death in 2010.  

Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2009, his last live performance was in Atlanta City, New Jersey, with the band Heaven & Hell, August 29, 2009. Dio career spans 50 years and he won numerous awards, Classic Rock Magazine awarded Dio the “Metal Guru Award” in 2006. On January 17, 2007, Dio was inducted into Guitar Center’s Rock Walk of Fame in Hollywood. He was named “Best Metal Singer” at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in April 2010, making him the oldest recipient of this award at age 67. He accepted the award in person at what was to be his final public appearance. Rolling Stones named him 165 on a list of 200 Greatest Singers of All Times. 

My interest in Ronnie James Dio is he lived in my hometown of Cortland, NY, when he was in the Rainbow’s they performed in Cortland. There is a street in town the name was changed to Dio Way. The music room at the Cortland High School was named after him and, in 2011, The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund held one of the first fundraisers with local bands that were inspired by their hometown hero. 

The reason I wrote this article was because on November 14, 2024, The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund holds the Bowl for Ronnie Celebrity Bowling Tournament. The Dio Cancer Fund has, in the past ten years, supported scientific institutions and their research in cutting edge technology using DNA to develop tools to detect cancer cells to help target treatment options.