R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio

Dammit. First Peter Steele and now Dio!

His wife Wendy has left an official statement on Dio's webpage as of yesterday morning.

More from The L.A. Times

Ronnie James Dio, a legendary heavy metal singer who replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath and also was lead singer for the bands Rainbow and Dio, has died. He was 67.

Dio died Sunday, according to a statement on his website by Wendy Dio, his wife and manager. Maureen O'Connor, a Los Angeles publicist, said Dio died in Los Angeles. No cause was given, but Dio had said last summer that he was suffering from stomach cancer.

Quite rightfully seen as one of the greatest metal front-men of all time, Dio brought a passion and mystery to heavy rock for as long as I had been around. From his early days with Elf, to Rainbow with Ritchie Blackmore, taking Ozzy's place after he skipped town on Black Sabbath, on through their regrouping as Heaven and Hell, and all the while maintaining his own eponymous band.

He pioneered the lyrical stylings of the struggle between good and evil using imagery that no other artist could quite master. From tracks like Lock Up The Wolves, Holy Diver, Rainbow In The Dark, and The Last In Line, Dio was more than just an amazing vocalist, he was a master storyteller of the fantasy genre.

I'm also feeling a bit forced into considering the atypical mythos that "all things happen in threes". Since we've already lost Steele and Dio, I'm wondering who will be next. If it's Bruce Dickenson from Iron Maiden, I'm pretty sure that the world is about to end.

So "throw your goats" today in honor of the man that made metal not only incredibly fun, but a source of inspiration for millions all over the world.

Rainbow - Man On The Silver Mountain