Ronnie James Dio poached Drummer Vinny Appice when he left Black Sabbathĭuring Dio's first stint singing with Black Sabbath, Vinny Appice was drumming for the group. Let's crank it up to 11 and rock out to these five fun facts about Dio's Holy Diver.ġ. It's a heavy metal classic that continues to help define and inspire the genre all these years later. Peaking at #56 on the Billboard album charts, the legacy of Holy Diver looms much larger than sales numbers and chart rankings. The album was certified platinum five years later that in 1989. A breakout success, the album was certified gold in 1984. On May 25, 1983, the newly christened group Dio released the band's debut album, Holy Diver. RELATED: November 1987: Stephen King Inspires Black Sabbath in 'The Eternal Idol'

After fronting the group for two successful studio albums- Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules-and one live album, Live Evil, Dio struck out on his own.

The former frontman of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow had done the seemingly impossible: saved a floundering Black Sabbath that was still looking for direction after Ozzy Osbourne was tossed out of the band. Ronnie James Dio was a hot commodity in the early 1980s.

Ronnie james dio holy diver rar