Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

The Last in Line is the second studio album by heavy metal band Dio, released on July 13, 1984. It was certified Gold (five hundred thousand units sold) by the RIAA on September 12, 1984, and was the first Dio album to be certified Platinum, achieving the feat on February 3, 1987.^[2]

In the UK, it attained Silver certification (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in January 1986, at the same time as Holy Diver. To date, these are the only two Dio albums to be so certified.

It is the first Dio album to feature former Rough Cutt keyboardist Claude Schnell.

The album, along with Holy Diver and Sacred Heart, will be released in a new 2 CD “Deluxe Edition” on March 19, 2012 through Universal for the world outside the U.S. ^[3]

Track listing[link]

All lyrics written by Ronnie James Dio, music as stated.

1. "We Rock" (Dio) – 4:33
2. "The Last in Line" (Dio, Vivian Campbell, Jimmy Bain) – 5:46
3. "Breathless" (Dio, Campbell) – 4:09
4. "I Speed at Night" (Dio, Campbell, Bain, Vinny Appice) – 3:26
5. "One Night in the City" (Dio, Campbell, Bain, Appice) – 5:14
6. "Evil Eyes" (Dio) – 3:38
7. "Mystery" (Dio, Bain) – 3:55
8. "Eat Your Heart Out" (Dio, Campbell, Bain, Appice) – 3:50
9. "Egypt (The Chains Are On)" (Dio, Campbell, Bain, Appice) – 7:01

2012 Deluxe Edition CD 2

Personnel[link]

Dio

• Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
• Vivian Campbell – Guitar
• Jimmy Bain – Bass
• Claude Schnell - Keyboards
• Vinny Appice – Drums

Production

• Recorded at Caribou Ranch, Colorado, USA
• Produced by Ronnie James Dio
• Engineered by Angelo Arcuri
• Assistant engineered by Rich Markowitz
• Mixed on Westlake Audio BBSM6 monitors
• Originally mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York, USA
• Remastered by Andy Pearce (2012 Universal Deluxe Edition)
• Illustration by Barry Jackson

Charts[link]

Album charts positions[link]

Singles charts positions[link]

References[link]

In Line is the debut album by Bill Frisell which was released on the ECM label in 1983. It features four solo performances by Frisell and five duets with bassist Arild Andersen.

Reception[link]

The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars.^[1]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Track listing[link]

1. "Start" - 5:55
2. "Throughout" - 6:52
3. "Two Arms" - 4:00
4. "Shorts" - 3:08
5. "Smile on You" - 4:07
6. "The Beach" - 6:06
7. "In Line" - 4:36
8. "Three" - 4:17
9. "Godson Song" - 3:57

All compositions by Bill Frisell

• Recorded August 1982 at Talent Studio, Oslo

Personnel[link]

• Bill Frisell – guitar
• Arild Andersen (1, 4, 6, 8 & 9) – bass

References[link]

The Last Emperor is a 1987 biopic about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, whose autobiography was the basis for the screenplay written by Mark Peploe and Bernardo Bertolucci. Independently produced by Jeremy Thomas, it was directed by Bertolucci and released in 1987 by Columbia Pictures.^[3] Puyi's life is depicted from his ascent to the throne as a small boy to his imprisonment and political rehabilitation by the Chinese Communist authorities.

The film stars John Lone as Pu Yi, with Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole, Ruocheng Ying, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Maggie Han, Ric Young, Vivian Wu, and Chen Kaige. It was the first feature film for which the producers were authorized by the Chinese government to film in the Forbidden City in Beijing.^[1] It won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.^[4]

Plot[link]

The film opens in 1950 with Pu Yi's re-entry into the just-proclaimed People's Republic of China as a political prisoner and war criminal, having been captured by the Red Army when the Soviet Union entered the Pacific War in 1945 (see Soviet invasion of Manchuria) and been in their custody for the past five years. Puyi attempts suicide, which only renders him unconscious. In a flashback, apparently triggered as a dream, Puyi relives his first entry, with his wet nurse at his side, into the Forbidden City.

The next section of the film is a series of chronological flashbacks showing Puyi's early life: from his royal upbringing, to the tumultuous period of the early Chinese Republic, to his subsequent exile, his Japanese-supported puppet reign of Manchukuo, and then his capture by the Soviet army — all of which are intermixed with flash-forwards portraying his prison life. Under the “Communist re-education program” for political prisoners, Puyi is coerced by his interrogators to formally renounce his forced collaboration with the Imperial Japanese invaders for war crimes during their occupation of China during the war. Finally, after a heated discussion with the camp commandant and upon watching a propaganda film detailing the wartime atrocities committed by the Japanese, Puyi recants his previous stance and is set free and rehabilitated by the government in 1958.

The concluding section of the film ends with a flash-forward to the mid-1960s during the Mao cult and the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. By now, Puyi has become a simple gardener who lives a peasant proletarian existence. On his way home from work, he happens upon a Red Guard parade, complete with children playing pentatonic music on accordions en masse and dancers who dance the rejection of landlordism by the Communists. His prison camp commander, his only friend during his incarceration, is forced to wear a dunce cap and a sandwich board bearing punitive slogans, and is one of the political prisoners now punished as an anti-revolutionary in the parade.

Puyi later visits the Forbidden City as an ordinary tourist. There he meets an assertive little boy wearing the red scarf of the Pioneer Movement. The young Communist orders Puyi to step away from the throne. However, Puyi proves to the boy that he is indeed the Son of Heaven, proceeding to approach the throne. There, Puyi discovers the 60 year old pet cricket he kept as a child and gives it to the child. Amazed by the gift, the boy turns to talk to Puyi, but the emperor has disappeared.

The film ends with a tour guide leading a tour in front of the throne, where the guide sums up Puyi's life in a few, brief sentences, concluding that he died in 1967.

Cast[link]

• John Lone as Puyi (adult)
• Joan Chen as Wanrong
• Peter O'Toole as Reginald Johnston
• Ying Ruocheng as Detention Centre Governor
• Victor Wong as Chen Baochen
• Dennis Dun as Big Li
• Ryuichi Sakamoto as Amakasu Masahiko
• Maggie Han as Eastern Jewel (Yoshiko Kawashima)
• Ric Young as Interrogator
• Vivian Wu (credited as Wu Jun Mei) as Wenxiu
• Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Chang
• Jade Go as Ar Mo
• Fumihiko Ikeda as Colonel Yoshioka
• Richard Vuu as Puyi (3 years old)
• Tijger Tsou as Puyi (8 years old)
• Wu Tao as Puyi (15 years old)
• Fan Guang as Pujie (adult), Puyi's younger brother
• Henry Kyi as Pujie (7 years old)
• Alvin Riley III as Pujie (14 years old)
• Lisa Lu as Empress Dowager Cixi
• Hideo Takamatsu as General Hishikari Takashi
• Hajime Tachibana as Japanese Translator
• Basil Pao as Zaifeng, Prince Chun, Puyi's father
• Henry O as Lord Chamberlain

Production[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010)

Bernardo Bertolucci proposed the film to the Chinese government as one of two possible projects - the other was an adaptation of La Condition Humaine by André Malraux. The Chinese preferred this project. During filming of the immense coronation scene in the Forbidden City, Queen Elizabeth II was in Beijing on a state visit. The production was given priority over her by the Chinese authorities and she was therefore unable to visit the Forbidden City.

Producer Jeremy Thomas managed to raise the $25 million budget for his independent production single-handedly. At one stage, he scoured the phone book for potential financiers.^[5]

Thomas later remembered his experience shooting the film:

It was a very long and difficult period to set it up, full of nightmares, it was like a dark tunnel, to shoot for six months in China, not being able to stop, but out of it came this beautiful thing, and I have totally forgotten all the nightmares. I just think about what an extraordinary experience it was to be in China at the beginning of open doors, to be allowed to make that film there, with a filmmaker like Bertolucci, with whom I have managed to continue a wonderful relationship and friendship for more than twenty years now and six movies. So that was a big point for me in my life and career.

When you make films in different places, you need to find the mercenary warriors to help you make the film, because no man is an island. The best technicians came to work on the film, like Vittorio Storaro and the designer Fernando Scarfiotti, and James Acheson the costume designer. So a group of professionals plus a tremendous amount of support from Italy, because the Italian government and the Chinese were very close. So there was a bonding between the Italians and Chinese. In fact the British Council and British Embassy were rather hands off when we arrived there, they came to claim it later but... If an Emperor can become a gardener then what better, and one day they will tell this story. And then we came and we told that story. Of an Emperor, son of Heaven, ruler of a quarter of the world, one man, and he died as a gardener. So this was an irresistible and grand epic idea. It was terrifying but it happened.

The difficult thing about the success of that film was that it was a difficult film to emulate, and I have never been to that pinnacle of a certain type of film. And I doubt if I ever would or could make a film like that again. I don’t know how one would have made those films in the independent arena today. There were no digital shots, it was before digital, and filmed with real people.^[6]

19,000 extras were needed over the course of the film. The Chinese army was drafted in to accommodate.^[6]

Soundtrack[link]

While not included on the album soundtrack, the following music was played in the movie: "Am I Blue?" (1929), "Auld Lang Syne" (uncredited), and "China Boy" (1922) (uncredited).^[7]

Release[link]

The film was originally released by Columbia Pictures, although they were initially reluctant, and producer Jeremy Thomas had to raise a large sum of the budget independently. Only after shooting was completed did the head of Columbia Pictures agree to distribute The Last Emperor in North America.^[1] Columbia later lost the rights when it reached home video through Nelson Entertainment, which released the film on VHS and Laserdisc. Years later, Artisan Entertainment acquired the rights to the film and released both the theatrical and extended versions on home video. In February 2008 The Criterion Collection (under license from now-rights-holder Jeremy Thomas) released a four disc Director-Approved edition, again containing both theatrical and extended versions.^[8] Criterion released a Blu-ray version on 6 January, 2009.^[8]

The Last Emperor had an unusual run in theatres. It did not enter the weekend box office top 10 until its twelfth week in which the film reached #7 after increasing its gross by 168% from the previous week and more than tripling its theatre count (this was the weekend before it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture). Following that week, the film lingered around the top 10 for 8 weeks before peaking at #4 in its 22nd week (the weekend after winning the Oscar) (increasing its weekend gross and theatre count by 306% and nearly doubling its theatre count) and spending 6 straight weeks in the weekend box office top 10.^[9] Were it not for this late push, The Last Emperor would have joined The English Patient, Amadeus and The Hurt Locker as the only Best Picture winners to not enter the weekend box office top 5 since these numbers were first recorded in 1982.

Awards[link]

At the 60th Academy Awards, the film won nine Oscars:^[4]

• Best Picture (Jeremy Thomas)
• Best Director (Bernardo Bertolucci)
• Best Art Direction (Ferdinando Scarfiotti, Bruno Cesari and Osvaldo Desideri)
• Best Cinematography (Vittorio Storaro)
• Best Costume Design (James Acheson)
• Best Film Editing (Gabriella Cristiani)
• Best Original Score (Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne and Cong Su)
• Best Sound (Bill Rowe and Ivan Sharrock)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Mark Peploe and Bernardo Bertolucci)

Historical omissions[link]

In Japan, the Shochiku Fuji Company edited out a thirty-second sequence from The Last Emperor depicting the Rape of Nanjing before distributing it to Japanese theatres, without Bertolucci's consent. The Rape of Nanjing — in which hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians were massacred by the Imperial Japanese Army — is an event disputed by the Japanese government, and a diplomatic stumbling block with China. Bertolucci was furious at Shochiku Fuji's interference with his film, calling it "revolting". The company quickly restored the scene, blaming "confusion and misunderstanding" for the edit while opining that the Rape sequence was "too sensational" for Japanese audiences.^[10]

Jeremy Thomas recalled the approval process for the screenplay with the Chinese government: "It was less difficult than working with the studio system. They made script notes and made references to change some of the names, then the stamp went on and the door opened and we came."^[6]

Alternate versions[link]

The film's theatrical release ran 160 minutes. An extended version currently available on DVD runs 218 minutes; cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and director Bernardo Bertolucci have confirmed that this version was created for television and does not represent a "director's cut".^[11] The television cut includes more footage from the stifling palace of Manchukuo. An entire character cut from the theatrical release is the drug-addled opium pusher appointed Minister of Defence by the Japanese, who becomes a sort of demon when he surfaces in Pǔyí's prison camp, whispering the awful truth to Puyi at night. In addition, the extra footage shows more detail about the way in which Pǔyí was unable to take care of his own needs without servants.^{[citation needed]}

The Criterion Collection 2008 version of 4 DVDs adds commentary by Ian Buruma, composer David Byrne, and the Director's interview with Jeremy Isaacs (ASIN: B000ZM1MIW, ISBN 978-1-60465-014-3). It includes a booklet featuring an essay by David Thomson, interviews with production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti and actor Ying Ruocheng, a reminiscence by Bertolucci, and an essay and production-diary extracts from Fabien S. Gerard.

See also[link]

	China portal
	United States portal
	Film portal

• List of historical drama films of Asia

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Last Emperor at the Internet Movie Database
• The Last Emperor at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Last Emperor at AllRovi

Ronnie James Dio
Dio at the IronFest, June 5, 2005.
Background information
Birth name	Ronald James Padavona
Born	(1942-07-10)July 10, 1942 Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
Died	May 16, 2010(2010-05-16) (aged 67) Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Heavy metal, hard rock, blues rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, trumpet, french horn
Years active	1957–2010
Associated acts	Dio, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Elf, Hear 'n Aid, Tenacious D
Website	Official website

Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010), better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American rock and heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser Hear 'n Aid. He was widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal,^[1] renowned for his consistently powerful voice. He often ranks as one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time in various online polls and lists. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture in metal culture. Prior to his death, he was collaborating on a project with former Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice, under the moniker Heaven & Hell, whose only studio album, The Devil You Know, was released on April 28, 2009.^[2] Dio died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010.^[3][4] One of the last songs he recorded was titled "Metal Will Never Die".^[5]

Early years, education and musical training[link]

Ronnie James Dio was born Ronald James Padavona in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Italian parents.^[6] They lived in Portsmouth until the family moved to Cortland, New York early in his life.

He initially played the trumpet and French horn^[7] and even recorded several singles with various rockabilly bands when he was a boy. When he was in high school, he joined a band called The Vegas Kings, in which he played the bass guitar. He eventually became the lead singer of this band which changed its name to Ronnie & The Rumblers and finally to Ronnie & The Red Caps. Their first 7-inch single was released in 1958 on Reb Records under the name Ronnie & The Red Caps. Its A-side, "Conquest" is an instrumental reminiscent of The Ventures (though the Ventures' first single did not appear until the following year), featuring Dio on trumpet. The B-side, "Lover" featured Billy DeWolfe on vocals but Dio's voice can be heard in the background.

Dio graduated from the Cortland City School in 1960, and was inducted to the Cortland City School Hall of Fame in 2004.^[8] He was also honored on November 15, 1988 by his hometown naming a street after him, Dio Way.^[9]

During a performance at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien, NY (near Buffalo, NY) on September 19, 2007, Dio revealed that he had attended the University at Buffalo, majoring in pharmacy.^[10] He attended from 1960 to 1961 but did not graduate.^[6] He formed one of his early bands during his freshman year.^[11]

He was offered a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music but did not pursue it due to his interest in rock music.^[12] Despite being known for his powerful singing voice, Dio claimed never to have taken any vocal training.^[13] He attributed his singing ability to the correct breathing techniques he learned when playing the French horn as a child.

Career[link]

Early career[link]

Dio performing with Rainbow. In the middle is Ritchie Blackmore. They first met when Dio's Elf opened for Deep Purple.

Dio's musical career began in 1957 when several Cortland, New York musicians formed the band The Vegas Kings, which soon changed their name to Ronnie and the Rumblers. This band's lineup had Padavona on the bass guitar, along with singer Billy DeWolfe, guitarist Nick Pantas, drummer Tom Rogers, and saxophone player Jack Musci.

In 1958, the band again changed their name, along with a few changes of personnel. The band was now known as Ronnie and the Redcaps. At this point, Padavona began singing, replacing DeWolfe. Musci also left the band, and a new guitarist, Dick Botoff, joined. The Redcaps lineup released two singles: "Conquest" b/w "Lover" (with DeWolfe on vocals on the B-side) on the Reb label, and on Seneca (S 178-102, USA), "An Angel Is Missing" with "What'd I Say" on the B side (both songs featuring Padavona, by now named "Ronnie Dio", on vocals).

By 1961, they had changed their name to Ronnie Dio and The Prophets. The Prophets lineup lasted for several years, touring throughout the New York region and playing college fraternity parties, and produced several singles for Atlantic^[14] and one album. Some of the single releases (such as "Mr. Misery" recorded for Swan) were labeled as being by Ronnie Dio as a solo artist even if the rest of the Prophets may have contributed to the recording.

Padavona took up the name "Dio" after mafia member Johnny Dio,^[15] and first used it professionally at least by 1961, when he added it to the band's second release on Seneca. Soon after that the band changed their name to Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. The group released several singles during the following years, until 1967.

Ronnie Dio and the Prophets disbanded in 1967, but he and Prophets guitarist Nick Pantas started a new band called the Electric Elves. They shortened their name to Elf in 1969, and eventually went on to become an opening act for Deep Purple while recording three albums.

Rainbow[link]

Dio's vocals caught the ear of Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, and when Blackmore left the band, he recruited Dio to Rainbow. Rainbow released its debut as Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow in 1975. Dio recorded two more classic albums (Rising and Long Live Rock 'n' Roll) and the live album On Stage with Rainbow, but he left the band due to creative differences: Blackmore had wanted to take the band in a more commercial direction.

Black Sabbath[link]

In 1979, after leaving Rainbow, Dio joined Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy Osbourne. That line-up released the highly successful Heaven and Hell album in 1980, which revitalized the band's career. They then went on to record Mob Rules with Vinny Appice on drums. Vinny replaced original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward during the tour for Heaven and Hell due to familial problems at the time. The album proved less successful than its predecessor, but still a hit. In 1982, disagreements over the mixing of Live Evil led to Dio and Appice quitting the band to form the band Dio. In 1992, Dio briefly returned to Black Sabbath to record Dehumanizer. The album was a minor hit, reaching the Top 40 in the United Kingdom, and #44 on the Billboard 200.

Dio[link]

Wanting to continue together as a band, Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice formed Dio, the band, in 1982. On guitar played Vivian Campbell and on bass Jimmy Bain, the latter whom he had known since the old Rainbow days. Their debut album, Holy Diver, included the hit singles, "Rainbow in the Dark" and the title track, "Holy Diver". As the band changed members over the years, Dio was the only original member. Except a few breaks, Dio, the band, was always touring or recording. They released ten albums, with Master of the Moon being the last one, recorded in 2004. During September 2005, Dio toured Siberia and Russia's far east, kicking off in Khabarovsk.^[16] In 2000, Century Media released Holy Dio: Tribute to Ronnie James Dio, an album featuring a number of covers by mainly power metal bands. The last song he recorded with his band was titled "Electra".

Heaven & Hell[link]

Ronnie "throwing horns". He is credited for popularizing the symbol in heavy metal music.

In October 2006, it was confirmed that Dio would be joining Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice to tour under the moniker Heaven & Hell, the title of the first Dio era Black Sabbath album. They chose the name Heaven & Hell as Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were still in Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne and felt it was best to use a different moniker for the Dio version of the band. Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward was to be involved in this project, but he later withdrew. In 2008 the band completed a 98-date world tour. The band released one album under the Heaven & Hell name, The Devil You Know, to critical and commercial acclaim. They also had planned to release a follow-up in 2010.

Other projects involved[link]

In 1974, Dio sang on the Roger Glover conducted and produced concept album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. Along other guest-singers, the album featured Deep Purple alumni Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale. Dio provided vocals for the songs "Homeward", "Sitting in a Dream" and the UK single "Love is All".

In 1980, Dio sang the tracks "To Live for the King" and "Mask of the Great Deceiver" on Kerry Livgren's solo album Seeds of Change. Dio, who was between stints as singer for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and Black Sabbath, later proved somewhat controversial among Livgren's Christian fans, as Black Sabbath and Dio were then perceived as "satanic" by many Christians. Dio said in an interview that he did not consider the album to be a "Christian" album and had performed on it as a favor to Livgren.

In 1985, Dio contributed to the metal world's answer to Band Aid and USA for Africa with the Hear'n Aid project. With a heavy metal all-star ensemble, which was the brainchild of his fellow Dio band mates Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain, he sang some of the vocals on the single "Stars" and an album full of songs from other artists given to charity.

The project raised $1 million within a year.

In 1997, Dio made a cameo on Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, an album of famous heavy metal songs played in big band style. Dio can be heard singing backup on Boone's take of "Holy Diver".

Tenacious D included a tribute song entitled "Dio" that appeared on their self-titled album. The song explains how he has to "pass the torch" for a new generation. Reportedly, Dio approved of it, and had Tenacious D appear in his video "Push" from Killing the Dragon in 2002. He also appeared in the film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, playing himself.

In 2005, Dio was revealed to be the voice behind Dr. X in Operation: Mindcrime II, the sequel to Queensrÿche's seminal concept album Operation: Mindcrime. His part was shown in a prerecorded video on the subsequent tour, and Ronnie appeared onstage to sing the part live on at least one occasion (both shown on the Mindcrime at the Moore DVD).

On January 17, 2007, he was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame at Guitar Center on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard.

Dio is thanked in the end credits of the 2011 film Atlas Shrugged: Part I, due to his being "one of the people who kept the project alive."^[17]

Personal life[link]

Ronnie James Dio performing at the Spodek arena in Katowice, Poland, June 20, 2007, with Heaven and Hell.

Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice at the Spodek arena, June 20, 2007.

Dio and his first wife, Loretta Berardi (born 1941), adopted a son, Dan Padavona.^[6]

After divorcing Berardi, he married Wendy Gaxiola (born 1945) who also served as his manager. In the 1980s, she managed the Los Angeles rock bands Rough Cutt, Nuhaven (with drummer Doug Simpson), and Hellion. She is the chair of the privately sponsored organization, Children of the Night, dedicated to rescuing America's children from prostitution. Dio remained married to Gaxiola until his death.

Illness and death[link]

On November 25, 2009, Wendy announced that Dio had been diagnosed as having stomach cancer:^[18]

"Ronnie has been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer. We are starting treatment immediately at the Mayo Clinic. After he kills this dragon, Ronnie will be back on stage, where he belongs, doing what he loves best, performing for his fans. Long live rock and roll, long live Ronnie James Dio. Thanks to all the friends and fans from all over the world that have sent well wishes. This has really helped to keep his spirit up."

On March 14, 2010, Wendy posted an online update on his condition:

"It has been Ronnie's 7th chemo, another cat scan and another endoscopy, and the results are good – the main tumor has shrunk considerably, and our visits to Houston (cancer clinic in Texas) are now every three weeks instead of every two weeks."

On May 4, 2010, Heaven & Hell announced they were canceling all summer dates as a result of Dio's ill health.^[19]

Dio died at 7:45 am (CDT) on May 16, 2010, of metastasized stomach cancer according to official sources.^[20][21][22] Wendy said on Dio's official site:^[23][24]

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

A public memorial service was held on May 30, 2010 at 2 p.m. at The Hall Of Liberty, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles.^[25] The hall was filled to capacity with over 1,500 people so the remainder of the fans had to sit outside of the hall and watch from a live screen. Friends, family, and former and current band mates of Dio gave speeches and performed including Rudy Sarzo, John Payne, Glenn Hughes, Joey Belladonna, and Heaven & Hell keyboard player, Scott Warren. On the screen was an accompanying documentary covering Dio's career from his early days with Elf to his final project with Heaven & Hell. Everybody who attended had the opportunity to view Dio's coffin. The Westboro Baptist Church held a small rally denouncing Dio as a Satan worshiper.^[26] Wendy Dio urged those attending the funeral to ignore the protest, saying:

"Ronnie hates prejudice and violence. We need to turn the other cheek on these people that only know how to hate someone they didn't know. We only know how to love someone we know!"

Legacy[link]

Dio's monument in Kavarna, Bulgaria.

Dio's career spanned over fifty years. During this period, and particularly in the 21st century, he received a number of distinctions and awards. He was inducted into the Cortland City Hall of Fame in 2004, and has a street named after him there called Dio Way. In his post-Elf band Rainbow, Ronnie wrote some of the first Power Metal lyrics. Classic Rock Magazine awarded Dio with the "Metal Guru Award" at their yearly "Roll Of Honour" awards ceremony in 2006. On January 17, 2007, Dio was inducted into Guitar Center's Rock Walk of Fame in Hollywood, CA. Dio was named "Best Metal Singer" at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in April 2010 for his work on The Devil You Know, 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, less than one month before his death.^[27] The main stage of Bloodstock Open Air is also named after him in tribute after Heaven & Hell pulled out upon his death. Also the main stage on Masters of Rock festival carries his name since summer 2010. A Dio monument has been unveiled in Kavarna, Bulgaria.^[28]

Rolling Stone magazine eulogized Dio with these words: "It wasn't just his mighty pipes that made him Ronnie James Dio — it was his moral fervor...what always stood out was Dio's raging compassion for the lost rock & roll children in his audience. Dio never pretended to be one of the kids — he sang as an adult assuring us that we weren't alone in our suffering, and some day we might even be proud of conquering it".^[29]

On July 10, 2011 in parallel to Ronnie Dio's birthday in Cortland, NY was held a day-long event featuring many central New York local bands and talent for a benefit to the Stand Up and Shout Cancer foundation for cancer research and Dio Memorial concert. Part of the proceeds from the event went to fund a memorial music scholarship for the local city high-school in his name.^[30]

Band timeline[link]

• The Vegas Kings (1957–1958)
• Ronnie & The Rumblers (1958)
• Ronnie & The Red Caps (1958–1961)
• Ronnie Dio & The Prophets (1961–1967)
• The Electric Elves (1967–1969)
• The Elves (1969–1970)
• Elf (1970–1975)
• Rainbow (1975–1979)
• Black Sabbath (1979–1982 1991–1992 + 2006 [Recording of three new songs for Black Sabbath: The Dio Years)
• Dio (1982–1991 1993–2010)
• Hear 'n Aid (1985)
• Heaven & Hell (2006–2010)

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ronnie Dio

	Book: Black Sabbath
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official website
• Ronnie James Dio on Twitter
• Ronnie James Dio at the Internet Movie Database
• Ronnie James Dio at Billboard.com
• Memorial benefit event

This article is an orphan, as few or no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; suggestions may be available. (July 2011)

Igor Presnyakov in 2011

Igor Presnyakov (Russian: Игорь Пресняков) is a Russian guitarist who became a YouTube sensation in 2007, for his unique song covers and virtuoso playing style.

Biography[link]

Born in Moscow, Russia, Igor Presnyakov studied classical music at a nearby academy and would eventually graduate as both a guitarist and a conductor for ensembles. He relocated to the Netherlands to further his career, which has now spanned over 35 years. His unique acoustic guitar-style is influenced by various musical genres from Reggae, Rock and Roll, R&B, Country-western, Jazz and Heavy Metal. His most noticeable attribute, is his creative style of "beating" the percussion of the song, onto the body of his acoustic guitar while playing. This replicates the sound of multiple musicians, while only Igor is playing. While he sometimes sings on many of his original and cover-songs, Igor is more famous for mimicking the vocal parts of a song, into guitar-solos, while often adding a softer, jazzier sound.

Igor's popularity has risen since he first debuted on YouTube in 2007. He currently has over 125 million total upload views, in addition to over 255,000 subscribers.

Igor is also now officially endorsed by both Takamine guitars and Fender Amplification.

YouTube fame and world reputation[link]

Igor in 2010 after getting more than 200,000 subscribers and more than 110,000,000 views in his videos he started touring all around Europe . His most famous guitar cover is Beat It with over 6,000,000 views.^{[citation needed]} His Kickstarter project has successfully been funded and he is now working on getting his new album released.

Albums[link]

• Iggyfied (TBA)

2010[link]

• Chunky Strings

2011[link]

• Acoustic Pop Ballads
• Acoustic Rock Ballads Covers

References[link]

• Igor Presnyakov's YouTube Channel " Iggy Pres "
• Igor Presnyakov's website