I recently spoke to one of Metal's enduring heroes, Ronnie James Dio. I asked about his lengthy career and what he sees as the major differences between todays metal scene and the the scene of 20 years ago. Below are his responses.

First off, I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this for us. We are all grateful.

Questions:

1) How is the thumb you injured last year?
The thumb is doing well. I thankfully have a great doctor.

2) How is the new album coming along? Is the band recording yet?
    When do you expect it to be released?
We're still writing the songs for the album and plan to record in April and release it in June or July.

3) Is there a concept or special meaning behind the new album?
This is not a concept piece, although as usual, it has that kind of texture in the music.

4) What subjects do you like to write songs about? Why are they important to you?
I like to write about people and especially how easy it seems to fool them. We make the same mistakes throughout history and are always blinded by the promises of evil and self-serving interests. When will we learn?

5) What Sci-fi authors do you admire most? Why?
Stephen King for his ability to churn out wonderful stories in such short periods of time. Alan Dean Foster for his relentless examination of the subject he's writing about and his amazing imagination. Isaac Asimov for his brilliant scientific mind. Dean Koontz for his knack of making each story believable and possible, and Terry Brooks for his great comic sense.

6) The response to Killing the Dragon put you back on top of the heavy metal world,
     it was larger than the last few albums, How does that affect you and the band?
We of course feel the need to repeat the success of "Killing the Dragon", but try not to make it the same album over again. Doing the unexpected is always a good idea.

7) Recently Jeff Pilson said in an interview that there is no doubt who the leader of the
    Dio band is, How much of the song writing do you delegate to the other band
    members? What does your song writing process consist of?
A good song is a good song, no matter who gets the credit for it. I've always felt that I knew best the direction the music should take in Dio and perhaps that makes me seem dictatorial, but it's worked so far.
Our writing process consists of first finding the rhythm of the song we want to write, and then constructing the chord changes inside it that allows me as the lyricist and melody writer to finish it. The last piece of the puzzle is the solo which we always find works best when the song is completed, thereby giving the soloist a better idea of what the piece is all about.

8) You have worked with some of the biggest names in Heavy Metal, Rainbow, Deep
    Purple, Black Sabbath and the musicians in your own band, Vivian Campbell, Jeff
    Pilson, Craig Goldy, Doug Aldrich, and so on, How has the music changed since
    you started out? What do you think of todays metal music?
    (does it lack talent and imagination? or is it fine and advancing?)
My heroes coming up were great musicians. To me that's what it's all about. The musicians could write, the singers could sing, the players could play, and the guitarists were superb. That has always been the kind of band I wanted to be in and that's the biggest change I've seen. There are of course some great bands and players out there, but not nearly to such a degree as the earlier days. I continually hear some spark of genius from today's music, so I would never say the musical world as we know it is in creative trouble. Quality is quality, and it will continue to surface.

9) What do your tour plans include for this year? Any surprises? Are you working on
    anything big? (I live in Hawaii and we would love to see you here. I haven't seen you
    since the Last In Line Tour at Irvine Meadows. Please tell your management to book
    something here.)
We'll tour first in Europe in the summer and then come back to the states and Canada for the fall. Hopefully that will include the always tempting Hawaii.

10) Last year you toured all over the world, How different was the fans response than
      to past tours?
The fans never change. If they like you and you don't let them down, they'll be there forever. They are the most important member of your band.

11) You have been making great music for around 30 years now, any plans to retire and
      just relax? (not to say you are too old to make music, I love your music and am a
      huge fan, just asking about retiring)
I have no plans for retirement, although everyone who has been doing this for as long as I have occasionally thinks of moving to Bora Bora to live as a beachcomber. It can be a difficult life, as any dedicated professional will tell you, but its rewards are addicting, and I'm definitely hooked.

12) What provides the drive for you to keep writing and recording?
Writing and recording are the rules of the job, but being able to translate that into a live performance is what gives me the greatest joy and keeps me driven to repeat the process over and over again.

13) Which band over your career fulfilled you the most ? (excluding the DIO band)
      Why?
I would have to include two bands as the answer. Rainbow and Black Sabbath were as fulfilling as each other, though in different ways. Rainbow because of the great musicianship and because it proved to me that I could succeed as one of them, and Sabbath because of its heaviness and working man's attitude that we took to a different level and still made it work.

14) What got you started in music and why did you choose heavy metal as a career
      path?
I started as a trumpet player at five years old. That introduced me to music and led me to rock and roll. Then I heard the metal attitude and knew it was what I wanted. The subjects were dark and ominous, which fit right in with my mind's other side.

15) Which band(s) you toured with last year showed you the most promise?
Since the only bands we toured with last year were Iron Maiden, Motorhead, and Deep Purple, I'd have to say they all have a chance to be "big".
Touche!

16) Do you do what you can to help bands get recognized or discovered if you think
      they are deserving?
Because I'm always working, I don't have the time to physically help a new band, so until I do, my praise to those who can help is about all I've been able to do.

17) Do you have any advice for bands just starting out?
Be as different as you can without being silly and remember you're only as successful as your fans will allow you to be. Oh yes, and rehearse a lot.

18) You set up a charity called Children of the Night to help runaway kids, tell us about
      it’s mission and accomplishments?
Children of the Night is a haven for runaways between 12 and 18. The charity was founded by Dr. Lois Lee in Los Angeles, and with the help of many great musicians, actors, and the caring public, we were able to build a shelter with school facilities and instructors who really care for these kids. We're working on a project this year that will include an album featuring many of the best rockers in the business. Keep an eye out for it.

19) Do any of the proceeds from sales of your merchandise benefit Children of the
      Night? How can we help?
Dio merchandise is confined to the Dio business side only. We raise funds via shows we perform at and by the aforementioned album we'll do for the charity this year. We'd greatly appreciate any help you can give. The address of the shelter is:
Children Of The Night
14530 Sylvan Stree
Van Nuys, California
91411
Their website is http://www.childrenofthenight.org.

20) And finally, What is the most memorable moment from your career?
The first American show with Sabbath in L.A. will always pop up first in my memory. One hundred thousand people at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Thank you again Ronnie and we wish you much continued success and look forward to the new album!

Posted on Monday, March 01, 2004