He fronted numerous bands throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell.

In 1979, Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath's lead singer and appeared on three studio albums with the band, all three of which met with success: Heaven & Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981) and Dehumanizer (1992).

[9][10] According to a version provided by the singer himself,[11] the act derives directly from the classic Italian apotropaic gesture, which his grandmother often displayed.

Dio had a powerful, versatile vocal range and was capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads.

He was also named the "Best Metal Singer" at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in 2010 and ranked as the genre's best vocalist in 2013 by music journalist Sacha Jenkins.

[12] Ronnie James "Dio" Padavona was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire,[13] to Italian-American parents[4] Patrick and Anna from Cortland, New York.

Padavona listened to a great deal of opera while growing up and was influenced vocally by American tenor Mario Lanza.

Though Padavona began his rock 'n' roll career on trumpet, he added singing to his skill set and also assumed bass guitar duties for the groups.

[22] Dio's musical career began in 1957, when he and several Cortland, New York, musicians formed the band The Vegas Kings.

The Prophets lineup lasted for several years, touring throughout New York and playing college fraternity parties.

Some of the singles (such as "Mr. Misery," released on Swan) were labeled as being by Ronnie Dio as a solo artist, even if the rest of the Prophets contributed to the recording.

In late 1967, Ronnie Dio and the Prophets transformed into a new band called the Electric Elves and added a keyboard player.

Dio met Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi by chance at the Rainbow on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in 1979.

"[25] The pair kept in touch until Dio arrived at Iommi's Los Angeles house for a relaxed, getting-to-know-you jam session.

On that first day, the duo wrote the song "Children of the Sea," which appeared on the Heaven and Hell album, the first the band recorded with Dio as its vocalist, being released in 1980.

The band added keyboardist Claude Schnell and recorded two more full-length studio albums with this lineup, The Last in Line (1984) and Sacred Heart (1985).

They chose the name Heaven & Hell as Iommi and Butler were still in Black Sabbath with Osbourne and felt it was best to use a different moniker for the Dio version of the band.

In 1974, Dio sang on the Roger Glover conducted and produced concept album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast.

[27][28] In 1980, Dio made vocal contributions to Kerry Livgren's Christian themed progressive rock album Seeds of Change, where he sang on the tracks "Live For the King" and "The Mask of the Great Deceiver."

With a heavy metal all-star ensemble—the brainchild of his fellow Dio bandmates Campbell and Bain—he sang some of the vocals on the single "Stars" and an album full of songs from other artists given to charity.

He also appeared in the film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, playing himself and providing guest vocals in the movie's opening musical number "Kickapoo.

[14] In 1978, Dio married Wendy Walters[2] (born 1945), ex-wife of drummer Aynsley Dunbar[36] and guitarist Ricardo Gaxiola.

[40] Dio was concerned he would no longer be able to do his signature "devil's horns" hand gesture, but a doctor managed to re-attach it.

[44][45][46] Two weeks after his death, a public memorial service was held at The Hall of Liberty, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.

Friends, family, and former and current bandmates of Dio, including Rudy Sarzo, Geoff Tate, John Payne, Glenn Hughes, Joey Belladonna and Heaven & Hell keyboard player, Scott Warren, gave speeches and performed.

On the screen was an accompanying documentary covering Dio's career from his early days with Elf to his final project with Heaven & Hell.

Part of the proceeds from the event went to fund a memorial music scholarship for the local city high-school in his name.

It was organized and produced by Wendy Gaxiola, with album proceeds benefitting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.

[55] On August 6, 2016, a hologram of the singer, created by Eyellusion, made its live debut at the Wacken Open Air Festival.

[60] In the fourth season of television series Stranger Things, character Eddie Munson wears a denim vest that includes a large back panel of the artwork on the cover of Dio's The Last in Line.