It’s been six years since legendary heavy metal singer and songwriter Ronnie James Dio died of gastric cancer. During his more than five decade career, Dio was an integral part of groups like Black Sabbath, Elf, Rainbow, Dio and Heaven & Hell, renowned for everything from his impressive vocal range to being responsible for popularizing the now-classic“metal horns” hand gesture. On Saturday, March 5th, the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (SUAS) will be hosting a free public street party in his honor at the Harley-Davidson of Glendale, California.
The event will feature food trucks and performances by Dio Disciples, Gabbie Rae, Budderside and Ernie Snair and The Loveless, as well as a raffle for a one-of-a-kind “Holy Diver” Harley motorcycle custom-painted with the cover illustration from Dio’s Holy Diver album. (The bike is valued at $25,000, and you can check out the complete specs here.) Raffle tickets benefiting SUAS are available at the fund’s official website for $50 each or three for $100. Attendees can also register in advance for the second annual Ride For Ronnie Motorcycle Ride and Concert, to be held May 22nd. Last year’s inaugural event drew over 300 riders and Dio fans for an afternoon of bikes, music, raffles and food.
To date, SUAS, which was co-founded Dio’s wife Wendy, has raised more than $1 million to support research and education to further early detection, prevention and treatment of prostate, colon and gastric cancers. Just in the last few months in the classic rock sphere alone, original Dio bass player Jimmy Bain, celebrated Motӧrhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister and Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, died of cancer.
