Geezer speaks on Dio Tribute
This is an interview with Geezer for noisecreep regarding the Dio tribute concert that just happened on July 24th. It originally appeared online here.
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Heaven & Hell bassist Geezer Butler has mixed feelings about the band’s July 24 performance at the High Voltage Festival. On the one hand, he looked forward to paying a proper tribute to band’s late vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who died from stomach cancer on May 16. However, he’s aware that performing the songs while other vocalists are behind the microphone re-emphasizes the singer’s absence.
“I think it will be exciting and a bit sad at the same time,” Butler told Noisecreep. “He was a one-off great person — utterly irreplaceable. He was a great guy to know, a great friend to me and it was just fantastic working with him.”
For the High Voltage Festival concert in London’s Victoria Park, Heaven & Hell were joined by ex-Black Sabbath vocalist Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple) and Masterplan vocalist Jorn Lande, who released released a tribute to Dio, which features songs by Rainbow, Dio and Black Sabbath.
Before Dio became critically ill with stomach cancer, Heaven & Hell had booked shows in Europe with Metallica throughout August. “Six weeks before we were supposed to start rehearsals, Ronnie got really, really bad and we had to cancel the tour,” Butler said. “The medical treatment seemed to be working and we all thought he was getting better. It was totally unexpected [when his health failed].”
After Dio died on May 16, the band’s European promoter suggested Heaven & Hell play the High Voltage festival show as a tribute to their fallen frontman. “He’s going to donate all the money to Ronnie’s cancer fund, [Stand Up and Shout],” Butler said. “So we said, “Yeah, as long as all the money goes to Ronnie’s charity we’ll do it.”
Butler performed on and off with Dio since the 1980 Black Sabbath comeback album ‘Heaven and Hell,’ the group’s first recording after Ozzy Osbourne was fired from the band. While Sabbath’s career with Dio started and ended with a band, the singer and his bandmates also experienced some major turbulence. While 1980′s ‘Heaven and Hell’ album was a big success, tensions developed during the making of the follow-up, 1981′s ‘Mob Rules,’ and after the December 1982 release of the concert album ‘Live Evil,’ Dio left Black Sabbath and formed his own band, Dio.
He returned to Black Sabbath a decade later to write and record the 1992 album ‘Dehumanizer,’ but at the end of a tour for the record, Black Sabbath agreed to open for Ozzy Osbourne in Costa Mesa, Calif. during what they thought would be Osbourne’s farewell tour, and have Ozzy join Black Sabbath on stage. Dio, who strongly disapproved of the idea, quit the band and returned to his solo career.
Then, in 2006, Rhino Records asked Butler, Dio and Iommi if there were any outtakes they could use for a compilation album ‘Black Sabbath: The Dio Years.’ Since there was nothing in storage, the members decided to get back together to write three new songs on the album. The sessions went so well that the members decided to tour as Heaven & Hell and play material from their three albums along with the new songs.
They released the live CD and DVD ‘Live From Radio City’ in 2007, then toured with Judas Priest, Motörhead and Testament on the Metal Masters Tour. Other tours followed before the members of Heaven & Hell decided to return to the studio and record their third full album together, ‘The Devil You Know,’ which came out in 2009. The album and the tour that followed were tremendously successful, which, in retrospect, provided closure to the band, which went out on one of Dio’s legendary high notes.
“It was almost as if fate had a hand in it,” Butler told Noisecreep. He sniffed and paused to recompose himself then concluded, “Well, he’s at peace now, anyway.”
when ronnie died ,being a fan since 1975 part of you or your youth dies to .because it takes you back to a much easier time ,your health is better ,you see all your friends from your school or neighborhood ,and your stiil pretty much innocent of the real world. 35 years later you realize as our parents, friends, rock stars etc get old or pass on just how fragile life is.. long live rooni and rock and roll………
Dear Mr Butler,
Have you ever considered hiring Graham Bonnet to replace Ronnie in Heaven And Hell? This is what Ritchie Blackmore did way back in 1979 and he knew exactly what he was doing because Bonnet was able to do Dio’s stuff in Rainbow reasonably well. At least, you should try him out.
Yours truly, Russian Heaven And Hell Fan Club
H@H are history great while it lasted.
Saw you guys play 4 Times in Arizona
last show in Pheonix was the best
Graham Bonnet will do the job, but the man youre looking for is probably Glenn Hughes..
The tribute was awsome. Jorn was great. You should release it on dvd and have the proceeds go to the stand up and shout foundation…I would buy it. I would love to see Heaven and Hell to contine in Dio’s honor……R.I.P. Ronnie
geezer- Has Ian Astbury ever been mentioned as a replacement?
After years of listening to your albums with RJD, I’m glad I got the chance to see you play together as Heaven and Hell, not once, but twice. Ronnie will live on in my memories, along with every other fan out there.
This is not the time for talk replacement. Its a time to reflect and heal. Ronnie Dio is irreplacable.
Hughes and Bonnet are great singers but replacements? NEVER! no one could ever replace Ronnie. I’ve enjoyed work from both of them, but Ronnie was and always will be a special voice and person with NO EQUALS. God bless Ronnie James Dio \m/ \m/
Yep, his absence will be felt. Talk of Bonnet, Hughes, or (!) Astbury is just silly. None of these guys *were* Dio. He was the reason for “Heaven and Hell”. Let him rest.
there is no replaceing rjd, im sorry but i would not like to see or hear another singer with the current band of heaven and hell, any singer includeing god will not sound as good as ronnie, heaven and hell was a great band, leave it at that,
no disrespect to glenn hughes but hes just a little to fruity for me and the jorn fellow is not all hes made out to be.
again…hearing any dio song, by another singer is just a major turn off
god bless u ronnie
I thought noone can replace Ronnie in Heaven & Hell. But I think for Ronnie that band should have go on. I think about wich singer, too. And yes, indeed, there is a name in my mind. Doogie White – last singer of Rainbow and good friend of Ronnie. I am a fan of Ronnie since 30 Years and I am so sad about his passing. So very very sad. There are no words to describe it. Ronnie gave me force to stay strong after my little daughter died 2004 in the age of 11. I was so deep in the dark. I listen to Ronnie and in his song Like the beat of a heart is this sentence – that you all know so well: Don´t look behind cause a tear that never dies get only make you blind. Maybe that is what Ronnie want? That we don´t look behind. We have his voice and we can hear him again and again and again. Ronnie, your cousin wrote to me about my daughter this: “Maryann: Ohhhh so sad. Well now Ronnie is watching and with her..Peace be with you Heiner!” This words from her are so deep and say all what I wish. I hope you both, my daughter and you are at the place over the Rainbow of Love and Peace. In Heaven. R.I.P. Your Heiner
KK pretty well summed it up, I had a few drinks put on a crackin song list encompassing rainbow to the devil you know and the waterworks just fucking turned on, not only for the loss of little ronnie with the big voice but also for my loss of youth that went with it. RIP ronnie and for all his real mates and No.1 besty wendy, condolences and sorry for your loss.
Regarding replacing Dio in Heaven and Hell: OK, guys, I totally agree that Dio was really one and only, but have you ever asked yourself the following questions:
1 No more Deep Purple after Gillan left in 1973?
2 No more Black Sabbath after Ozzy left in 1978?
3 No more Rainbow after Dio left in 1978?
If the answer is ‘No’, then Heaven and Hell should be killed and buried, but, honestly, I wouldn’t want that to happen. First of all, because, most likely we will get another pathetic Black Sabbath with poor Ozzy … Are you sure you want just that? I sure don’t. So I guess Geezer, Tony and Vinny should still find someone to go on as Heaven and Hell.
Id like to see one more show a big U.S . tribute show maY BE NEXT YEAR and have Heaven and Hell with Jorn singing and other guest singers and id also like to see the Dio band doing a rockin Tribute for Ronnie and the Stand up and shout cancer fondation make a vidieo sell it and have the proceeds go to cancer research Ive never said Heaven and Hell should go on with another singer It would be fine if the singer was really good. i loved the London show So why not bring it here to the states and make it a true RJD show that reflects his career. id like to see a show bigger than the queen tribute show to Freddy mercury that would be cool
i will really mis RJD. He could really sing, and it doesnt sound rite with out him in heaven and hell. im really young and didnt grow up then, but always liked the way he was in rainbow and sabbath.
its really sad that ronnie is dead. i feel bad that i said that ozzy was so much better. he was, acually, but hes really good! RJD was one of a kind, so i guess its a shame he died in may. god bless dio he was a good man, even better in sabbath then in rainbow. R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio. i only 14, so i didnt grow up then, but his stuff is really good, and i wish he could have lived longer.
Dear Mr Butler,
If you decide to go on as Black Sabbath with Mr Osbourne, please teach him how to play drums a little and let Mr Ward sing (just like he did on Technical Ecstasy). However, if poor Ozzy can’t learn to beat the rhythm, perhaps Mr Ward could both play the drums and sing.
Yours truly, Russian Black Sabbath Fan Club
… or better yet, hire Michelle, a very talented and very hot-looking lady singer from a French heavy metal band Heavy Duty and start making albums with a female voice for a change, just like Ritchie did in 1997. You may call your new band with her Black Sabotage, for instance, and see how the fans will react …’
Russian Black Sabbath Fan Club
Jorn Lande is the guy for the new project !
Keep playing with Tony and Vinny and find a singer
You can’t replace Dio he is one of a kind.