Last August Ronnie James Dio took the stage with his band Heaven & Hell for what would be his final concert. Composed of current and former Black Sabbath members, Heaven & Hell kept the Dio-fronted version of Sabbath rocking long after Ozzy Osbourne reclaimed the reins of the real thing. Dio’s sudden death in May wrecked plans for a planned tour with Iron Maiden, but in tribute to Dio the band will play one more show. They’ve recruited Glenn Hughes and Jørn Lande for the gig, which takes place at London’s High Voltage Festival July 24th.
That’s right; it takes two singers to tackle Dio’s legendary howl. Hughes once fronted Sabbath himself, so he can probably belt “Neon Knights” with the best of вЂem. Norwegian metal singer Lande is a less obvious choice, but the man boasts the right credentials, having sold over two million albums. Next month he will release Dio, a tribute album covering songs by some of Dio’s projects.
“Ronnie’s passing has left a huge hole; we hadn’t anywhere near finished what we set out to do as a band together,” guitarist Tony Iommi said in a statement. “He was so looking forward to the European tour and we hope this appearance will go some way to fulfilling that.”
Proceeds from the gig go to Dio’s Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, which aims to educate fans about the disease.
“I hope [the concert] encourages people to have regular check-ups for this disease,” bassist Geezer Butler said. “Early detection is vital, and greatly improves the chance of a cure…Seeing one of your best friends die because we all think we’re immune from this disease really brings it home. Do it for yourself, your family, your friends. Ronnie would be proud of you.”