The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, founded in memory of the late heavy metal icon, will join forces with virtual event producers Rolling Live Studios to celebrate Ronnie’s birthday on Saturday, July 10. The global fundraising event will bring together celebrities and fans all over the world to honor Dio’s undeniable impact both on and off the stage. The front man for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and DIO, Ronnie lost his battle with gastric cancer in 2010.
Hosted on rollinglivestudios.com beginning at 2:00PM Pacific time (PDT), this star-studded event will feature special guest performances, interviews and birthday messages from artists including Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell); Teddy ‘Zig Zag’ Andreadis (Guns N’ Roses, Alice Cooper); Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Beck, Bogert & Appice); Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath); Michael Angelo Batio (Nitro, Holland, Shout); Joey Belladonna (Anthrax); Chuck Billy (Testament); Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit); Melody Cristea (Liliac); Aynsley Dunbar (Journey, Frank Zappa); Frank Ferrer (Guns N’ Roses); Lita Ford; Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion); Terry Ilous (Great White, XYZ); LA metal band Liliac; Sean McNabb (Quiet Riot, Dokken); Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, Dio); Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne); Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires); Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust); and Brent Woods (Sebastian Bach, Wildside).
Also participating will be members of the Dio band–Simon Wright, Oni Logan, Scott Warren, Bjorn Englen and Rowan Robertson, who will also appear with fellow castmate Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt) from the Las Vegas production “Raiding the Rock Vault.” Radio and television personalities Eddie Trunk and Matt Pinfield be on hand during the broadcast conducting interviews with artists as well as with Dio producer Wyn Davis and Ronnie’s widow and long-time manager Wendy Dio.
The STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY virtual event will feature brand new performances and stories from Ronnie’s friends and fans, as well as exclusive archival footage from Dio’s life and long-spanning career, and never-before-seen footage from Dio Cancer Fund events held in Los Angeles since 2011 when the organization began. Through musical performances and storytelling, a wide array of guests will celebrate the life of a man who deeply influenced their lives through his artistry and larger-than-life presence
Throughout his career, Ronnie James Dio was a passionate supporter and contributor to charitable work and numerous animal charities. He was an artist who was not only well respected for his talent, but also admired and loved by his peers and fans worldwide, some of which included renowned celebrities, musicians, and prominent individuals from all walks of life.
Tickets go on sale today (June 9) at https://rollinglivestudios.com/dio with General Admission tickets priced at $20 (Early Bird general admission tickets at just $15 are available through June 16). In addition to tickets to view the show, Rolling Live Studios will offer special merchandise packages and virtual VIP experiences for fans to take part in this unusual worldwide event. Included among the value-added items is a specially designed event tee-shirt, baseball cap and laminate plus “grab bags” of vintage DIO and Dio Cancer Fund event merchandise. Ticket packages that include access to a Pre-Show Virtual Meet & Greet and a Post-Show Virtual VIP Party are also available. Additionally, a limited number of copies of RAINBOW IN THE DARK: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY, written by Ronnie James Dio (with Wendy Dio and Mick Wall) and signed by Wendy Dio, will be made available prior to its publication and availability to the public on July 27.
The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org), dedicated to cancer prevention, research and education, has raised over $2 million in its history. The organization’s last in-person event was its 10th Anniversary Gala held at the Avalon in Hollywood in February, 2020. Its annual RIDE FOR RONNIE Motorcycle Ride and Concert and BOWL FOR RONNIE Celebrity Bowling Tournament have been suspended as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY is the latest in a lineup of stellar events produced by Rolling Live Studios. In January, the studio worked alongside Mike Garson to bring together an extraordinary slate of vocalists to perform with David Bowie’s band alumni for “A Bowie Celebration: Just for One Day” streaming concert event. The following month, YUNGBLUD’s stunning performance of “Life on Mars?” from the event played after millions of viewers watched NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully touch down on Mars.
