[dropcap]R[/dropcap]onnie James Dio, known for legendary groups such as Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and of course, Dio, lost his battle with stomach cancer in 2010. His legacy in music lives on and his win with this past Sunday’s “Best Metal Performance” Grammy for his classic track “The Last In Line”, re-recorded in homage to the singer/songwriter by Billboard chart-topping group Tenacious D, proves that.
The winning cover version of “The Last In Line” was recorded to honor Ronnie and his legacy in heavy metal and hard rock, but also to assist in raising funds for a very important cause.
The Grammy award-winning track, “The Last In Line” appears on the Ronnie James Dio’s This Is Your Life tribute album. It is a compilation released last year to raise funds for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org).
This Is Your Life features an all-star group of Dio’s friends performing 13 of their favorite of Ronnie’s tracks. The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is a non-profit charity dedicated to supporting cancer-prevention research, raising awareness and educating the public about the vital importance of early detection and prevention. It was co-founded by Dio’s longtime manager and wife, Wendy Dio. 100% of the money raised from this album goes directly into cancer research. So far the album has raised $132,000 towards cancer research.
“We are so excited to see one of Ronnie’s songs be awarded with a Grammy. As soon as Tenacious D were announced as winners, Jack Black called me in excitement to tell me that we won the award. My only regret is to not have Ronnie here in body to see this happen” said Wendy Dio.
“This Grammy is all about Ronnie James Dio,” added Jack Black and Kyle Gass. “We are so proud to have known Ronnie and this is just another testament to his greatness.”
This Is Your Life is available now via iTunes here, or physical via Amazon here.
