Ronnie James Dio was an American rock and heavy metal vocalist and songwriter who has an estimated net worth of $10 million. He was best known for his performances with Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band, Dio.
Ronald James Podovan was born on July 10, 1942 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. While growing up, he listened to a great deal of opera, influenced by American tenor Mario Lanza. He did not receive any vocal or musical training other than starting to play trumpet at the age of five.
When he was in high school, Dio recorded singles with several bands. He played base guitar for The Vegas Vikings, later renamed Ronnie & the Redcaps when he became the lead singer. The group members changed after several singles were recorded and it was later renamed Ronnie and the Prophets. They were together until 1967, releasing one album and a number of singles.
In the same year, the band rechristened themselves The Electric Elves, adding a keyboard player. Their bandmate, Nick Pantas, was killed in a car accident in February 1968. The band’s name was shortened to The Elves, which they used until mid-1972. It released its first proper album under the name Elf. They became a regular opening act for Deep Purple, and recorded three albums. Their involvement in the recording of the first Rainbow album in 1975 resulted in Elf disbanding.
Ronnie James Dio went on to perform with Rainbow. He then had his most lasting success as the frontman for Black Sabbath, and later formed his own band, Dio. He graduated from the Cortland City School in 1967 and he was inducted to the Cortland City School Hall of Fame in 2004. He passed away in May 2010 due to complications from stomach cancer.