How tall is Ronnie James Dio

Danimal said on 5/Jan/23
Rob, Klaus Meine (lead singer of Scorpions was a self-proclaimed 5'4" in his prime and he consistently had at least 3" on Ronnie throughout the years:
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Meltdown said on 28/Apr/21
I can give him 5ft 3½ peak height. About 5ft 2, end of life.

Daniel said on 16/Oct/20
Well, the guy was really tiny, but 1.60m is the least I think he was. Anyway, the "official" 1.63m height seems a bit of an exaggeration.

Christian 6'5 3/8" said on 16/Sep/20
I get that it's the camera angle, but it's strange how his right hand looks that big, in comparison to his left.

QM6'1QM said on 27/Jun/20
Had a really great voice.

Eric Reid said on 17/Nov/19
And an 8 foot tall voice

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 10/Jul/19
I have only just found out today that Ronnie passed on years ago, 2010 I believe. How sad. He was dynamic onstage. 🎼🎵🎧

Today would have been the guy's 77th Birthday. 🎶😢🎂

5ft3.

RIP Ronnie James Dio

Rising174cm said on 11/May/19
And Ronnie did look much younger than the 47 he really was when he recorded Lock Up The Wolves and like Graham Bonnet, his voice, technically speaking, was at it's best in his 40's or even into his early 50's in Ronnie's case. The confusion over Ronnie's ages dates back to the fact he used to claim and publicize his year of birth as 1949 back in the 80's and 90's even though he was really born in 1942. I don't blame him for this, but it also shows why his height claims should be taken with a grain of salt. And keep in mind, I greatly admire Ronnie as both a singer/songwriter and as a person so this is absolutely no knock on him. I believe the age thing was for professional reasons since people use to care more about this, especially when he was recording platinum records and selling out massive arena tours in the 80's during the early MTV era.

Rising174cm said on 11/May/19
@Danimal: I can buy about 5'2" barefoot. He seemed about 5'4" in heels to me, but it's very possible he had internal lifts as well so maybe 5'2" range peak and shrunk down to possibly even 5'1" range, if he wore lifts in the heeled boots. I did also seem him claim 5'4.5"-5'5" in one interview, which I think was Dehumanizer era and also 5'4" at other times, but that was his height in heels. Nowhere near that barefoot and he's my favorite singer so I'm obviously no hater either. A lot of these guys are much shorter than people imagine and I'm talking about singers I'm a huge fan of. You can see photos of Ronnie on stage with Bruce Dickinson in the 80's and they actually look similar: Click Here Click Here which is probably due to Ronnie's heels, but as I've also said, I've met Bruce as well and I'm 100% sure he's shorter than 5'6". More like 5'5" flat, maybe, 5'5.5" absolute max, but I can say he absolutely did not even look that tall to me. Blaze Bayley, whom you've met, looked slightly taller than Bruce in the one decent photo of them: Click Here A lot of these powerful singers are/were quite short. I know from meeting 3 of the 4 Rainbow singers to record an album that all 3 were 5'6" or under. JLT looked no taller than 5'5" to me, Doogie White might have been 5'6" and of course, RJD was closer to 5'2". I never met Bonnet, but he was clearly at least average height, perhaps slightly above.

Danimal 5'9 3/4" said on 7/Apr/19
Michael t said on 20/Feb/19
I ran into him in an LA nightclub in 1989 with his band. About 5 2. Looked to be about 40 then so may have lost an inch. Nice guy. Put up with me drunkenly accusing them of being the band Ratt. Didn't realize who I'd been talking to till the next day

First of all, it's easy to find out people's ages Michael, especially when they're famous. All it involves is a quick google search. So, in 1989, Ronnie was either 46 or 47 (depending on the month you saw him) and btw, 40 year old me will have not lost a full inch of height (MAX 1/4"-1/3"). I do agree with you though that Ronnie probably was around 5'2" barefoot.

Danimal 5'9 3/4" said on 7/Apr/19
I'm a DIE-HARD Dio fan, but he was NOWHERE near his claimed height of 5'4"-5'5". Here he was with the lead singer of the Scorpions (Klaus Meine), who also claimed to be 5'4"/5'5". Klaus had at least 3-4" on Ronnie, putting Ronnie at MAX 5'1"-5'2" and NO, I'm not hating. I'm a fan!
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Taylor Jones said on 4/Apr/19
Short guy just a little taller than 5 feet but powerful metal singer. One of the best!

Michael t said on 20/Feb/19
I ran into him in an LA nightclub in 1989 with his band. About 5 2. Looked to be about 40 then so may have lost an inch. Nice guy. Put up with me drunkenly accusing them of being the band Ratt. Didn't realize who I'd been talking to till the next day

Rising - 174 cm said on 11/Jul/18
@Liberty183.3: Yeah, HUGE tenor voice. He was always listed at 5'4" and he claimed that, but he also claimed 5'4.5"-5'5" once in the 90's. He looked close to 5'4", but he always wore boots with at least 2" heels or bigger so he may have only been in the 5'2" range, but his talent and presence stood head and shoulders above everyone else.

Liberty183.3 said on 22/Jun/17
If you just listened, you'd think he was 6'3''. Probably 5'3'', though. He's always listed at 5'4''.

RisingForce said on 30/Mar/17
I wasn't surprised at how short Ronnie was because I always knew that, but I was really surprised at just how thin he was up close in 2007 and especially the last time I saw him in August 2009. Made sense in hindsight unfortunately. Many powerful singers were very short. Among some others who stood out in person are Ronnie's Rainbow album with JLT at 5'5" tops, maybe slightly more peak and Doogie White at 5'6" tops, maybe shorter. Bruce Dickinson also seemed 5'5" max. It goes on and on and on... ;) Ronnie's peak was likely somewhere between 5'2" and 5'3" without the big heels and he did seem to shrink a bit, but great talent and a great man. R.I.P.

Sandy Cowell said on 13/Oct/16
Ronnie was fronting Black Sabbath when I saw them. ( The following day I saw Ozzie's Blizzard of Oz!)
I knew Mr Dio was small, but this small? It strikes me as funny, albeit interesting, when a great booming voice comes bellowing out of a little person!

bigommans said on 22/Oct/14
I agree with this. Next to Jack Black he is clearly a few inches shorter

RisingForce said on 26/Jul/14
It's possible Dio was never a full 5'3" because the big heels and in the Rainbow days, huge platform shoes made it difficult to tell, but I think he was probably about 5'3" when he was younger, though under it in the 2000s. 5'2.5" to 5'3" is a fair guess. As for Geezer, he didn't look a full 5'7" to me, more between 5'6" and 5'7".

diavolo said on 24/Jul/14
On one of the Sabbath band photos Dio had to stand on a ledge to be in eye-level with the rest of the band (which included 5'7" Geezer Butler). And he always wore pretty big heels. I think Dio was closer to 5'2". Tiny man with a huge voice.

RisingForce said on 6/May/14
Rob, how much height is Jack Black losing with his stance at 0:47? Click Here

RisingForce said on 2/May/14
The more I think about it, he actually could have been closer to 5'3" than 5'4" even with the boots, though being a big fan, I wasn't so focused on his height. Everyone has always known Dio was short so what I remember being more surprised by was how thin he had gotten. But depending on the size of the boots he could have dropped below 5'2" during the 2000s, but looking at some 80's videos, he definitely looked taller back then, though his heels were so big back then they seemed like mini-stilts. The Rainbow days wouldn't tell you much because of the huge platform shoes he wore in those days. He was an amazing talent, though and a very nice guy.

RisingForce said on 1/May/14
Thanks, Rob, 5'3" is a pretty good guess for peak, definitely not over it since he looked near 5'4" in shoes like the ones above, but could have lost a little height by the time I met him. Here's one of the 5'4" claims he made over the years.

“Though my first idea of performing was to play sports - A Sort of unrealistic goal for a guy who topped out at 5 foot 4 inches and 130 pounds.”

I'll try to find the 5'4.5"-5'5" claim, I'm 95% sure he claimed that in '92, I think on Headbangers Ball, but I could be wrong.

achello said on 12/Nov/12
comeon dude, 152 cm? do you know how small is that? 163 cm is already very very very small

linda said on 13/Jan/12
whatever his height does not matter,he was a very talented good hearted man.thats what really matters.

Mathew said on 27/Aug/11
I'm going with 5'3.75" with Glenn.

love said on 19/Aug/11
height has nothing to do with their immense talent .....it's no worth talking height!

FreedomFries said on 5/May/11
just came across your useless site Glenn, no offense.. since when height matters? well yes under 5'4 and he's a great singer, look at Bono, Bruce Dickinson and many more, since when you need to be tall to be a great singer Glenn?! you're what 5'8 (you look shorter though ;) and what did you do with that? did your daddy told you you aren't tall enough?! taller people control shorter people? shorter people are here to remind tall ones that they're tall actually, if everyone had the same height wouldn't be funny right? you need short people to feel better about yourself and remind you that you're taller or tall, so be considerate towards short ones, you need them more then you think.. funny enough I'm quite tall or normal, 6'3 and everything is in the 3 inch, so proud of it, lol, but am I normal? normal to whom? compared to whom? such things doesn't exist, the word normal shouldn't be used in this context, for the reason that there isn't normal height, we're the way we are, that's it..unfortunately we cannot choose our height or color, therefore this is discrimination and racism against short people. why am I saying all this since I'm 6'3 you might think, well, I've seen so many men and women suffering from their height, too short or too tall, because of people like the one present here on this site and their stupid comments, not all of them though, some show 'normal' thinking..anyways thats about it really, people that judge by the appearance make me vomit like nazis (oops sorry hitler was a short man), because your behavior is not better then them, they killed because of appearance & weird ideologies. thanks for reading, sorry if you feel insulted but i did when i read your comments, because if you let someone insult a short human, you insult every human beings on earth, what matters is your heart, have a great day and God bless America..

richp16 said on 6/Feb/11
I met Ronnie back in 67 or 68 with Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. They performed at my Uncle's club, in Rome,NY, called "Where The Action Is". It was a teenage club and Ronnie played bass and did lead vocals. They blew everyone away. Then around 70 - 71 they were the Electric Elves, and then the evolution to Elf, then Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, then he went to Sabbath and then on to "Dio". What a tremendous voice and a great bass player.

Anonymous said on 5/Jan/11
A strong 5'4 I'd say, from the pic at the top, I'd say Geezer Butler is 5'7.5 and Tony Iommi a strong 6'. Geezer always claimed 5'11, he looked taller when younger. Rob, is it possible he had knee surgery and that made him smaller?

guyfrommars said on 2/Jan/11
5ft4 was his "official" height, and he was very height conscious. I guess his real barefoot height was closer to 5ft2. He never went anywhere without heels. In the "glam" days of the '70s he frequently wore huge 5 or 6-inch platforms on stage. In later days, his footwear varied between 2 and 3-inch heeled boots. I guess he was 5ft4 in those.

RisingForce said on 12/Aug/08
152 cm for Dio makes no sense. He's about 5'4", I've met him I should know. Have you met him Dream Catcher?

RisingForce said on 9/Aug/08
Dio is NOT 152 cm. He's atleast close to 5'4"(163 cm).

Dream Catcher said on 14/May/08
even when I first saw Dio on the stage... I thought his height is very very small (between 145 - 152 cm). I don't really thought that he's 163 cm, I can't believe it!!!!! I still think that he's 152 cm no taller!!!

glenn said on 23/Oct/07
yeah,thats kinda the tracks that were great.i loved coverale/page.one song had a slowed down death metal riff.seriously.the last song i think.the firm was weak at times but fun.i prefer mean business.his best unknown album is roy harpers stormcock.unsung masterpiece page plays on.no quater album was ok.dreamland was really good.the first 2 plant albums were phenomenal.shaken and stirred was a great new wave album.alot of rock and metal artist dabbled in new wave then and came up with great results.van halen,billy idol,billy joel.genesis etc.this new plant/krauss(sp) album is the talk of the town.

Danimal said on 22/Oct/07
The 3 great songs were: When the World Was Young, Most High and Walking into Clarksdale. I much prefer Plants solo album Dreamland from 2002. Some amazing songs on there.

Glenn, did you think "The Firm" was any good? What about Page's collaboration with Coverdale in 1992 and with The Black Crowes in 2000?

glenn said on 22/Oct/07
i thought it had a few great songs.a decent album.not a masterpiece.id rather a decent album than nothing at all.i disagree with passion part on at least one great song.

glenn said on 21/Oct/07
oh by the way,that airport pic my friend never gave me, of page and i.he was a full 6ft in converse.my friend made the comment first of how tall he was.the page pic thats up is from a day off on the black crowes tour early summer 2000.he was in a great mood.he was with a girl,so maybe thats why.i asked if he was working on anything new.he said he was,and i asked if it was with plant.he said no.here we are all these years.no new solo album.

Danimal77 said on 21/Oct/07
Well, if the music is anything like Walking into Clarksdale from 1998, I won't get my hopes up too high. That album had NO passion. It was bland and monotone. Jimmy is 63 and Plant is 59. Do they still have it? Not sure.

glenn said on 21/Oct/07
yeah,i hope that album materializes.these days zep rumors come true.

Anthony said on 21/Oct/07
Page is a weird guy. I was thinking about going, but tickets are probably heck to pay for, plus like you I have a fea of flying. A new album would be cool, though to see them in concert would be great. That's a pretty interesting story about Page. Weird indeed. Didn't know about those aborted sessions.

glenn said on 21/Oct/07
im excited.hell,i remember they recorded secret aborted sessions of 5 or 6 songs in late 1985 and early 1986.what a tease that was.now this might be a tease for one night.plant denies and denies.now im hearing a rumor of an album but no tour.that would be great for me.id rather hear new albums by these bands than see them.i was supposed to fly out to that show,but i need to get my passport renewed and i dont know if i got over my fear of flying.all paid for too.shame.but i had to get autographs from the band which might not happen anyway.they were in new york 6 months ago and ran from only 5 autograph/photo with people.amazing.nobody cared.it couldve been a crowd of 20 with photogs,but they still shafted a handful of guys.i remember 4 years ago page running away from me and this girl.then days later at the airport asking me to walk over to him to show him what i needed signed.i was hiding from him too.he said "you,come over here,what have you got".and did a dozen photos with in a row.half dealers and half tourists.he did a countdown too, joking around starting at 10 after a few photos with were taken to speed up the process.weird guy.

Anthony said on 20/Oct/07
I shall, Glenn. BTW, for something off topic, as a metalhead, what do you think of the upcoming Led Zep reunion? I'm somewhat exciting, but I've talked to several people, and they say Plant's voice is **** nowadays and Page's playing is exceptionally sloppy, but I'm still looking forward to see how it goes (though I sadly can't actually be there). What are your thoughts?

glenn said on 20/Oct/07
blackmore said he would do a few shoes with deep purple guys a few years ago.nothing came of it.then dio was reaching out to do rainbow.blackmore blew him off.

glenn said on 20/Oct/07
i saw blackmore a couple of weeks ago.looking under 5-10.first i ever saw him treat fans like ****.he is always alright with me.snapped on some fans after me and before me.

glenn said on 20/Oct/07
so you like metal casually.some of it.most people have a metal cd or 2 in their collection and not realise it sometimes.def leppard,guns & roses and bon jovi i see in people collections that dont normally listen to metal.well,i guess you dont have to start too slow with dio.get the 4 i mentioned 1st.if you like those ill tell you the next 4.enjoy!

Middle-sized Cat said on 20/Oct/07
Daniel - No, they're estimates from the Munich DVD. In fact, Stone may be taller. Heck, I was wrong about Airey and I stood not ten feet from him! :)

Glenn - I reckon there'll eventually be another Rainbow / Dio album, sadly without Powell. If anything could get Blackmore to play hard rock again, that'd be it. Rainbow Eyes! Love that number.

Anthony said on 20/Oct/07
I love Sabbath, too. I was more into the music that influenced metal than straight out metal. I listened to some hair metal like Def Lep, Poison, GNR, etc. Metallica has some stuff I enjoyed.

glenn said on 20/Oct/07
and you can stomach the crunchy guitars anthony? did you ever like any metal? oh,i think you liked zeppelin only correct?

Anthony said on 19/Oct/07
Glenn, my cousin's a major music buff (not unlike you) and he's been a musician for over 20 years. He's introduced me to some stuff and said Dio had one of the best voices in rock. I youtube'd some of his stuff and I became interested.

I also saw him in "Pick Of Destiny."

glenn said on 19/Oct/07
anytime anthony.start slow.only holy diver first.how did you get to hear him?

glenn said on 19/Oct/07
of course i like dream evil.im giving anthony only a start.you jumped to conclusions a bit on my veiws of blues,when i mentioned what i liked and respected.not a big deal.maybe i wasnt clear enough.thanks for understanding.

Daniel said on 19/Oct/07
Glenn- Yes, sometimes blues can be very repetitive or use the same notes. It depends on the musician to be really creative or just pick up the same old tunes. But there is a lot of material to look for and listen to. I think Muddy Waters is great too, so are many others. After all, I believe I don't disagree with you so much, at least so far, ha ha! And about Dio, don't you like the "Dream Evil" LP?

Cat- are you sure about those heights? I thought they were taller. But, as a matter of fact, this happened to be the case with most rock musicians for me. Do you have any clue about Johnny Winter (I mean, when he was young, not today that he seems a very very old man)? Have you ever been to one of his shows? -I wish I had- Guess I have to discuss it here and there, until Rob has the kindness to give him his own page!

Middle-sized Cat said on 19/Oct/07
Glenn - Agree with a lot, but Long Live Rock'n'Roll to me is also Dio at his best. Blues - I wish Gary Moore would go back to his Dark Days in Paradise era. That was more interesting than just blues.

Other Rainbow heights - Bob Daisley - 5'9"; David Stone - 5'9" also; and Cozy Powell was definitely 5'10" - I met a guy in Hungerford, Cozy's latter hometown, and he said he was the same height as me.

Anthony said on 19/Oct/07
Thanks for the advice, Glenn.

glenn said on 19/Oct/07
anthonys gone metal on me? wow.pick up 'holy diver' first.then 'last in line' for dio solo cds.if you like those then get 'mob rules' by black sabbath and rainbows cd 'rising'.thats the best of dio.

glenn said on 18/Oct/07
blues can be very redundant.and primitive.blues purists will knock the excesses of prog and metal.i think thats absurd to knock it.now i think having all forms of music is important.again ,i like some blues.the heavy stuff.even howling wolf and muddy waters had heavy stuff.hell,electic mud is a metal album to me and others i know.even some of the pure stuff i like.its when it gets repetitive and using the same notes i go mad.

Anthony said on 18/Oct/07
Outside of B.B. King and early Rolling Stones and Clapton, I'm not much of a blues guy myself. I respect its impact and influence, but I too find it a bit boring.

As for Dio, I just recently began familliarizing myself with the guy, and I think 5'3-5'4 looks accurate. Great singer, too. Gonna start picking up a few cds soon.

Daniel said on 18/Oct/07
OK, Glenn, I got it. But I have to disagree with you. I don't find pure blues boring, at least in a general sense. And sometimes Johnny plays pure accoustic blues in a very passionate way. I like his acoustic tunes very much, but sometimes his heavy electric songs are better. "Rock & Roll" and "Mean Town Blues" among his best songs.

glenn said on 18/Oct/07
100 percent.i just met turner again 10 weeks ago.

AshnarLynx said on 18/Oct/07
Turner did look short to me on that video from Straight Between the Eyes tour, but I had no idea he was that short. Are you absolutely positive on that? And Rondinelli was tough to figure out, he always sat behind the drums, hehe.

glenn said on 18/Oct/07
joe lynn turner 5-5.bain 5-6.blackmore 5-10 now or 5-11 peak.bonnet 5-10.glover 5-8.rondenelli 5-6.cozy i agree looked 5-9,but is mentioned as 5-10.i met all except bonnet who my friend met and described as really tall. ?.

glenn said on 18/Oct/07
reread what i said at the bottom.plus winter and his brother are on the heavy side a bit.not as boring as pure blues.heavy blues can be good.

Daniel said on 17/Oct/07
Glenn, if you don't like blues, how come you like Johnny Winter?

glenn said on 17/Oct/07
don airy seemed at least 6-1 to me.in fact he has to be.even 6-2 in a small heel.he was the tallest member in deep purple recently.ian gillan surprised me by being 6-2 as well.but in heels too.i might be wrong about gillan.he could be 6-1.as i think you said once.he was huge recently.yes,i know those rainbow bootlegs are sought after,but easily found.i cant stand mistreated.never did.i dont like blues.for the most part at least.lots of exceptions for me of course.

AshnarLynx said on 17/Oct/07
Can you give us the heights of other Rainbow members Glenn? Jimmy Bain was short, probably 5'6 or 5'7. Blackmore is 5'10, at least according to you guys. I won't disagree. Cozy Powell...I dunno, he looked kinda average, 5'9 maybe.

Middle-sized Cat said on 17/Oct/07
Glenn - No, Rainbow's actual setlist barely changed from '76 - '78. That's quite true. The improvisation of Blackmore is something you love or hate. I love the classical-styled intros - say before 16C Greensleeves - which then have their fragility shattered by crunching chords. Catch the Rainbow DID go on too much, but Mistreated was never too long. I think the improvisation worked best with Jon Lord - between '68 and '75, Blackmore had an equal musician to barter with, and that was exciting. Not to mention jazzy. With the Dio Rainbow era, you might want to hunt down one of the '75 bootlegs, when some lesser-known tracks were played. Self-Portrait was fantastic.

By the way, I saw Don Airey with Company of Snakes a few years ago, and am pretty sure he's 5'11". Nice guy.

Daniel said on 16/Oct/07
Well, Danimal, I didn't see Cream's reunion. But I certainly don't expect much from it, cause it's been such a long long time since they were really "the cream". I stick to the original old material from the 60's, which I consider among the best of music, especially the live shows. I wish I was there in that Royall Albert Hall farewell concert! Unfortunately, I was born 7 years later, and thousands of miles away from London. But if you, buddy, tell me that reunion was good, maybe I should take the time to listen to it some day!

glenn said on 16/Oct/07
no,i havnt seen or collected any of that rainbow stuff.listening to same songs over and over,drives me mad.and some of that long drawn out stuff bores me too.some of it i like.it seemed like they never changed the set list much.maybe i read the wrong dvd and cd packages.i usually dont judge someones actions before their music.and danzig wouldve been sued if he hit back.he isnt in position to lose money.he is wealthy to a point.not to lose money though.

Danimal said on 16/Oct/07
Daniel, did you see Cream's reunion concert recently? Not what they once were, but still pretty good.

Daniel said on 16/Oct/07
For me the problem with those Rainbow concerts is the tendency of Blackmore to over-extend the songs with those endless guitar solos. Maybe I'm a bit impatient, but I tend to bore and get lost with that kind of performances as well with those nonsense medleys they play, which (unfortunately) Dio himself also used to do in his early solo career. A whole different thing are the live shows of Cream (in my modest opinion best -or among the best- power trio ever), where improvisation was taken to its greatest expression!

Middle-sized Cat said on 16/Oct/07
Daniel - Thank you. Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Well-articulated! One doesn't expect musicians to live saintly lives, but being abusive should never be seen as 'cool'. It's all backfired on Danzig, anyway. Who'd want to be 'the metaller beaten up by other metallers'?

Glenn - You're right, it's a touchy subject. I only brought it up when challenged. You're very good for this site - the considerate approach. And, getting back to Dio (!), the 'new' Rainbow CD is coming out this month - the 3rd in the Live in Germany '76 series. Koln this time, I think. Another reason to be cheerful! The last 2 are fantastic. Have you also seen the Munich '77 DVD? Blackmore only just made the gig after being arrested for a fight with a bouncer. Rock'n'Roll...

Daniel said on 16/Oct/07
I don't know anything about Danzig's music, but I feel the same as Middle-size. For me, first is the man, second is the music. If the man is despicable, I just won't take the time to listen to anything that comes from him, cause when I like a song very much I tend to identify myself with the artist who performs it in the moment I enjoy the music. It's my personal point of view, and I feel comfortable like this, even if it means I have to leave out some "interesting" music. I think it is what you, Middle-sized Cat, tried to tell. If it is the case, I agree with you. Again, it's my personal opinion, anybody can disagree in a respecful way. I hope not to be misunderstood, folks.

glenn said on 15/Oct/07
so do i middle cat.but thats a whole other complex world.i despise that too,but thats a touchy matter there.to only know 3 of his songs doesnt help either.but thanks for understanding.your a admirable gent too.

Middle-sized Cat said on 15/Oct/07
Glenn - Quite right too. Most people don't pay attention to lyrics, which is often just as well! Thanks again. You're a gentleman.

Anonymous - No offence taken. I think you meant 'Assinine', though. That actually means 'donkey-like', and, being a man, am quite happy with it. :) Seriously, though, absolute honesty is called for here: I've only heard 3 Danzig songs - Mother (once), She Rides (once), and Metallica's cover of, er, "I got somethin' to say - I got my ass kicked yesterday..." Or something. You may be right - he may be a good singer - I simply have an aversion to him because he's said by many to have hit women, and even a girl of 16. Now, you don't get a rep. for that out of thin air, and he's never sued a journalist for saying he kicked a girl at a (London) show. So this has nothing to do with music. Simply, I detest men who hit girls.

glenn said on 13/Oct/07
middle sized cat-thanks for understanding.some here on the site get to touchy when i dissect music.i dont pay attention to lyrics much.i dont care for that type,but i dont pay attention to his veiws either.i never really noticed.goes to show how i dont pay attention.i mainly pick out guitar and bass parts to enjoy in songs.

Anonymous said on 12/Oct/07
You got it all wrong. Danzig had one of the most powerful and YES...BEAUTIFUL voice of all time. I will make that statement. What he was able to do with his voice from 1987-1995 was just out of this world. There were signs of his greatness as far back as 1977, when he released the song American Nightmare, but by 1990 he really learned how to use his pipes in a sophisticated way.

As for Ian Astubury, WELL, Ian began to sound like DANZING by 1994 and NOT the other way around. The Cult's self-titled album from 1994 was an Ian who did have a similar like tone as Danzig. Whether that was done intentionally is unknown, BUT, to make a claim that you can't tell them apart and to go so far as to say that danzig is talentless is ASSENINE and just goes to show how you really don't have a good ear for music (no offense).

Anonymous said on 12/Oct/07
Alright Glenn I dug up the bootleg..I think it is Craig on guitar 10/3/05 I believe I will rip the cd and send it to you by email. I think your email is on your page here. I have plenty of other great bootlegs...Zakk Wyldes Ozzy audition tape, the first DIO concert, the first rainbow concert, Quiet Riot reunion 1980 with Rhoads ect. I will send more eventually.

Middle-sized Cat said on 12/Oct/07
Hi Glenn. You are the voice of reason! I respect a man who can criticise without flaming. It's the fact that Dio still sings well at his age that I wanted to emphasise. My problem about Danzig is his lyrical stance on women, which I find objectionable and weak-minded. He sings like Ian Astbury - I honestly can't tell 'em apart! - but Astbury's lyrics don't get me annoyed. Dio sings like Dio alone - even the old Paul Rodgers comparison doesn't seem that valid. Thanks again, though - I always listen to polite criticism like yours.

glenn said on 9/Oct/07
danzig isnt talentless.you have a right to think dio is better.i love both.dio more of course.you have a right to say what you want,but danzig talentless is a fact in your world.not reality.he is a legend as well that had many great songs with 3 great groups,as almost like dio.samhain november coming fire is up there with any metal classic,as with the obvious misfits walk among us.

Middle-sized Cat said on 9/Oct/07
I disagree. My right. And I'm sticking to it. End of matter. Dio may be small, but that's all he's got in common with talentless Danzig. Fact.

glenn said on 8/Oct/07
thanks anonymous.i would greatly appreciate it.

Danimal said on 8/Oct/07
No, it's just the beginning.

Middle-sized Cat said on 8/Oct/07
Have just heard a new H & H bootleg, and Dio's voice is as good as ever. End of matter.

Anonymous said on 7/Oct/07
Alright Glenn I have to dig it up though. I have hundreds.

Danimal said on 5/Oct/07
Don't Talk to Strangers, It's Too Late, Give Her The Gun, Falling Off the Edge of the World, This is Your Life, are some of his BEST ballads (light/shade) from Sabbath through his solo career.

AshnarLynx said on 5/Oct/07
My favorite Dio ballad is "Don't Talk to Strangers", from his solo work at least.

glenn said on 5/Oct/07
anonymous-ill gladly take a copy please.danimal-if you can burn something that would be cool too.i dont have much in the bootleg form.tons of vinyl and imports only.

Danimal said on 4/Oct/07
Anonymous, I have literally dozens of bootleg concerts of Ronnie (dating back to the early 60's actually)..

Compare Ronnie's reunion with Sabbath from 1992 to his 2007 one. It's not a comparison. He still is amazing though! Ever since his first 1957 recording up until now.

Anonymous said on 4/Oct/07
He was sick when Holy Diver Live was recorded. I have bootlegs from earlier that tour beforeGoldy had to leave the tour. I'll be happy to send anyone a copy. The story was Ronnie had to go off stage and drink tea during Doug's solo and Simon's solo. He was much better earlier that tour. Again I will send anyone a copy of the bootleg I have. The new Heaven And Hell DVD is much better too. I was lucky enough to be at that show.

Danimal said on 3/Oct/07
The thing is, something happened to his voice since 2004-2005. Up until 2004, he was able to still go high and be very melodic. Since 2005 he struggles to no end. I am quite sure he has developed nodes on his vocal chords in the last 2-3 years and not just age. Anyone want to see what this man was capable of in terms of beauty, buy his 1977 Rainbow concert from Munich. If you want to see BRUTAL power, intensity, range and melody all combined, buy Dio: Live at Last from his Angry Machines Tour (1996-1998). If you want to hear a destroyed voice, listen to his late 2005 concert in London, called Holy Diver Live. It's sad how much he strggles their and how much he knows it. Even if you listen to his spoken voice, you can tell it is very hoarse, tired and nasal and it comes across when he sings. Kind of like late Danzig (post-1998).

Anonymous said on 3/Oct/07
Last DIO ballad was As Long As It's Not About Love. One of my favorite ballads ever and one of Ronnie's all time greatest vocal performances. It is on Magica. The 3 new songs he did for the DIO years Sabbath cd are great too.

Middle-sized Cat said on 3/Oct/07
Just heard the new live Heaven & Hell stuff, and I agree with Anon. - considering RJD is older than his former bandmates, his voice is incredible. I take the point that it's less melodic than before, but that's the nature of the material he's singing. Last album's ballad saw him as melodic as ever, as did '99's Love Is All with Purple.

Daniel said on 2/Oct/07
Well, we finally have Ronny's page here! Thank you, Rob! And yes, the man seems to be a little shorter than the 5'4'' claimed, as Glenn says, but it's reasonable to think he has lost 1 or 2 inches, cause he's well over 60 years old by now. And he looks very skinny too, as Danimal said. All these things apart, he is a fantastic singer, from the Elf era (I haven't listened to earlier recordings) to his solo albums of the 80's. From 90's and 00's I don't know, since I find these times not interesting for hard rock productions and I don't listen very much to rock music made from 1990 on. Am I missing something valuable?

glenn said on 2/Oct/07
geezer butler is 5-6.possible about peter criss danimal.

Anonymous said on 2/Oct/07
You are being very tough on Ronnie's voice. It is a lot deeper and a little less powerful but those are the only things I can think of that are true. Ronnie's voice was the worst it's been on the 2003 tour.

Da Man said on 2/Oct/07
He sounded fairly decent in the Pick of Destiny.

Danimal said on 1/Oct/07
Buddy, he is NO 58 years old. It has been proven that he graduated from H.S. in 1960, putting him at 65 years old and he is REALLY begining to look it and his voice HAS changed since the late 90's and even more so in the last 2-3 years. It has deepened tremendously and has developed a tired, less melodic, more hoarse and nasal quality to it and the power has been cut in half since the 1990's and I am a HUGE Dio fan.

Anonymous said on 1/Oct/07
I met Ronnie this year. He was sitting down so I couldn't tell how tall he was but when he walked by Geezer he looked 3 inches shorter. How tall is Geezer? Ronnie's voice is still amazing I've seen him twice this year and he really hasn't lost much. Amazing considering he is a metal singer between 58 and 65 years old. Ronnie is very short though which is why average height band members like Rowan Robertson(5'10") appear to be well over 6 feet. Hell Doug Aldrich looks tall next to him and he probably is only 5'9". I have such respct for Ronnie that I'll believe his 5'4" and I'll also consider his birth claim of 1949 even though there is evidence that suggests otherwise for both claims.

Danimal said on 30/Sep/07
And Glenn, Peter Criss is in his 60's. He may very well have been 5'9" 35 years ago.

glenn said on 30/Sep/07
eric singer is about 5-5.peter criss i remembered at 5-6 when i met him in 1992,but i was way wrong when i saw him 2 months ago.he looked a shocking 5-7,maybe even 5-8 in converse..

glenn said on 30/Sep/07
dio is more to the front in huge heels.always in huge heels.so how is that 5-5? in heels maybe.

Danimal said on 29/Sep/07
What he really lost is A LOT of weight. In his Elf days he appeared chubby. In his Rainbow days, the same and even into his early solo career, but in the last few years he looks like a walking 65 year old skeleton. It is clear that he is losing more and more weight right along with his deepening voice.

AshnarLynx said on 29/Sep/07
5'4 is the height given for him at most sites. 163 cm. He's as tall as my mother!:P That reminds me...that Eric Singer from Kiss and Black Sabbath, he looked pretty short. I remember a photo with him and the rest of Sabbath members and he looked like a child next to them! You could see he was trying to look taller.:P

Franco said on 29/Sep/07
btw i need to specify something......he used to be in the 162-163cm range in the past but not today, today he lost at least 2cm and it shows.

so in the past 163cm and today is 160-161cm.

AshnarLynx said on 29/Sep/07
On the bottom pic Glenn.

Dunken said on 29/Sep/07
Dio rules.

5'3.

Franco said on 28/Sep/07
he's definetely short, to me he looks 160-161cm

glenn said on 28/Sep/07
5-5,5-6? where?

AshnarLynx said on 27/Sep/07
On that pic he looks more like 5'5-5'6.