Scott Warren

Scott Warren– keyboards (1993–2010)

Scott Warren (3 November 1962, Chicago) was the latest keyboardist for heavy metal band Dio and Heaven & Hell.

Scott is a self taught keysman, he begin playing at age 6. Later he trained professionally at Dick Grove School of Music.

Scott Warren was a member of the groups Warrant, Keel and Berlin among others. Scott joined Dio to play keyboards on the Strange Highways release in 1994. Stayed in the band until Dio's death in 2010 from stomach cancer.

His most notable work with the band would have to include his keyboard solo on the recent Killing the Dragon album on a track titled "Before The Fall." After Ronnie's death he wrote "How can I express what 17 years next to Ronnie now means to me? He has led me on an incredible journey.

I have been blessed by his presence, and his voice. He was my surrogate father, my brother, my friend, my teacher AND my loyal advocate. Our fearless leader. He never let us down. He was never not out to prove it.

Because he 'WAS' it. Just a class act. Life without him will never be the same. Yet it is not because of these things, that I know He IS in Heaven. But that's another story. I will miss you, my dear friend. "RJD RIP"

Scott Warren

Instruments Keyboards

Simon Wright

Simon Wright – drums (1989–1991, 1999–2010)

Simon Wright (born Oldham, 19 June 1963) is an English drummer best known for his stints with rock n' roll bands AC/DC and Dio. He first started playing drums in his early teens and cites Cozy Powell, Tommy Aldridge and John Bonham as his greatest influences.

Wright began his career with local band Tora Tora before joining Manchester supergroup A II Z, a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band founded in 1979 in Manchester, England by guitarist Gary Owens.

The full lineup consisted of David Owens (vocals), Gary Owens (guitar), Gam Campbell (bass), Karl Reti (drums).

They rapidly acquired a local following in Manchester, and were quickly snapped up by Polydor Records, eager to cash in on the exploding NWOBHM boom. A single live album, The Witch Of Berkley, followed in 1980. Reti was subsequently replaced by Wright.

The band then promptly disintegrated, Wright then went on to perform in Tytan and recorded on their full-length debut album "Rough Justice", however; that band also dissolved shortly before the release of the debut.

Wright joined AC/DC after their drummer, Phil Rudd, was fired in 1983. AC/DC recorded three albums with Wright in the mid-late 80s; Fly on the Wall, Who Made Who and Blow Up Your Video.

Wright then left the group in 1989 to join Dio, and was replaced by Chris Slade. Simon Wright joined Rhino Bucket when he wasn't working with Dio to replace the departed Liam Jason for their third album, 1994's independently released Pain. In 2007, he reunited with the band and is featured on their latest album The Hardest Town.

Wright has had two stints with Dio, 1990–91 and 1998-2010. With the band he has recorded four studio albums (Lock up the Wolves, Magica, Killing the Dragon and Master of the Moon) and two live albums (Evil or Divine - Live In New York City and Holy Diver - Live).

His drumming can also be heard on albums by UFO, Michael Schenker Group and John Norum.

In 2005, Wright participated on a tribute album to Heavy metal icons Iron Maiden. It was his second time doing a tribute disc; the first experience being in 1998 on an AC/DC tribute album titled Thunderbolt.

In 2006 Wright is credited in the song "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" on the album Butchering the Beatles, a heavy metal tribute.

In August 2009, Wright teamed up with Joe Lynn Turner, Phil Soussan and Carlos Cavazo as part of the Big Noize project, playing shows in Iraq and Kuwait.


Background information

Born             : 19 June 1963 (age 47)
                      Manchester, England
Genres          : Hard rock, heavy metal, blues-rock
Years active   : 1979–present
Labels            : EMI

Associated acts

AC/DC, Dio, UFO, Michael Schenker Group, John Norum, Rhino Bucket

Rudy Sarzo

Rudy Sarzo – bass (2005–2010)

Rudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.

Background information

Born              November 18, 1950 (age 60) Cuba
Genres       Hard rock, Heavy metal
Occupations   Musician, Songwriter
Instruments     Bass guitar, Guitar
Years active 1975–present

Associated acts

Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Dio, Blue Öyster Cult

(Website http://www.rudysarzo.com)

Discography

With Ozzy Osbourne
Speak of the Devil (1982)
Tribute (1987)

With Quiet Riot
Metal Health (1983)
Condition Critical (1984)
Alive and Well (1999)
Guilty Pleasures (2001)

With Whitesnake
Slip Of The Tongue (1989)

With M.A.R.S. (MacAlpine/Aldridge/Rock/Sarzo)
Project Driver (1986?)

With Manic Eden
Manic Eden (1994)

With Michael Angelo Batio
Hands Without Shadows - "Tribute to Randy" (2005)

With Dio
Holy Diver - Live (2006)

With Bassinvaders
Hellbassbeaters (2008)

With Tim "Ripper" Owens
Play My Game (2009)

Charity Collaborations
Emergency "Girlschool Haiti Appeal cover with Livewire, Lemmy and Girlschool" (2011)

"Master Of The Moon" (2004)

• One More For The Road
• Master Of The Moon
• The End Of The World
• Shivers
• The Man Who Would Be King
• The Eyes
• Living The Lie
• I Am
• Death By Love
• In Dreams
• The Prisoner Of Paradise

Master Of The Moon

Master of the Moon is Dio's tenth and final studio album. 

The album was released on September 7, 2004 in America 

through Sanctuary Records and August 30, 2004 in Europe 

through SPV Records.

It also features Jeff Pilson on bass, Simon Wright on drums, 

and Scott Warren on keyboards, 

although according to some, 

Dio and Goldy handled all keyboard duties on the album 

(Scott Warren is listed in the credits for the album).

One song, "Death by Love," was partly written by former 

Magica touring bassist Chuck Garric. Ronnie James Dio 

produced this album.

On the supporting tour for this album Dio went on the road 

with Fireball Ministry and Anthrax opening. He reached into 

his catalogue and played songs from various stages of his 

career, including Rainbow and Black Sabbath songs.

Sarzo has had a long career, 

notably playing with Quiet Riot, 

Ozzy Osbourne and Whitesnake. 

Released September 7, 2004

Recorded Total Access,

Redondo Beach, California, USA

Genre       :  Heavy metal

Length      : 46:07

Label        : Sanctuary

Producer Ronnie James Dio

Personels

Ronnie James Dio – vocals

Craig Goldy – guitar, keyboards

Jeff Pilson – bass

Simon Wright – drums

Scott Warren – keyboards

"Strange Highways" (1993)

• Jesus Mary & The Holy Ghost
• Firehead
• Strange Highways
• Hollywood Black
• Evilution
• Pain
• One Foot In The Grave
• Give Her The Gun
• Blood From A Stone
• Here's To You
• Bring Down The Rain

Strange Highways

Strange Highways is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Dio. It's also their first album since Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice's reunion tour with Black Sabbath. First released in 1994 on Reprise Records.

After the short lived Dehumanizer reunion with Black Sabbath, Dio and Appice returned to Dio's solo group. 

Due to Dio's hard feelings toward Craig Goldy at the time, he hired Tracy Grijalva as his guitarist.

Studio album by Dio

Released 1994

Recorded Rumbo Studios,

Los Angeles, California, USA

Genre Heavy metal

Length 53:36

Label Reprise

Producer Mike Fraser

Personnel

• Ronnie James Dio – vocals
• Tracy G – guitars
• Jeff Pilson – bass, keyboards
• Vinny Appice – drums

"Lock Up The Wolves" (1990)

• Wild One
• Born On The Sun
• Hey Angel
• Between Two Hearts
• Night Music
• Lock Up The Wolves
• Evil On Queen Street
• Walk On Water
• Twisted
• Why Are They Watching Me
• My Eyes

Lock Up the Wolves

( All lyrics by Ronnie James Dio )

Lock Up the Wolves was released May 15, 1990 and is Dio's fifth album. 

This album displayed a complete change of musician line-up over the previous Dream Evil album, including the eighteen year old guitarist, Rowan Robertson, and the addition of Simon Wright on drums who previously played with AC/DC.

Studio album by Dio

Released May 15, 1990

Recorded Reno, Nevada, US

Genre          :  Heavy metal

Length         :  60:43

Label           :   Reprise

Producer    :  Tony Platt Ronnie James Dio

Personnel

• Ronnie James Dio           - Vocals
• Rowan Robertson          - Guitars
• Jens Johansson               - Keyboards
• Teddy Cook                    - Bass
• Simon Wright                  - Drums

"Sacred Heart" (1985)

• The King Of Rock And Roll
• Sacred Heart
• Another Lie
• Rock'n'Roll Children
• Hungry For Heaven
• Like The Beat Of A Heart
• Just Another Day
• Fallen Angels
• Shoot Shoot

Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart is Dio's third studio album. It was released in 1985 on Warner Bros. Records. This album peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200. The cover art is done by Robert Florczak.

The RIAA certified Sacred Heart Gold (500,000 units sold) on October 15, 1985. It was for a long time the last album to receive this certification, until The Very Beast of Dio was certified gold on November 3, 2009.

The accompanying stageshow was a spectacle involving a mechanised dragon and laser effects, as captured on video (and later DVD reissue). Ronnie James Dio and his band referred to the dragon as Denzil (although originally it was called Dean).

Sacred Heart is one of Dio's most well-known albums, including hit singles such as Sacred Heart, Rock N' Roll Children and Hungry For Heaven. The inscription around the border of the cover is in Latin and reads FINIS PER SOMNIVM REPERIO TIBI SACRA COR VENEFICVS OSTIVM AVRVM.

Because of the lack of punctuation it is difficult to determine the precise meaning, but a possible rendering is I learned of your goals through dreams: a sacred heart, a wizard, a golden door.

But several other meanings are possible.[citation needed] Another meaning could be contained within the lyrics to the song "Sacred Heart". "Whenever you dream you're holding the key, it opens the door to let you be free, and you find the sacred heart"; and "Here we see see the wizard, staring through the glass, and he's pointing right at you". It may be a loose interpretation of those lyrics.

This was the last Dio album to include guitarist Vivian Campbell, who went on to join several other bands, most notably Def Leppard, Riverdogs, Whitesnake, and Thin Lizzy .
Hungry for Heaven appeared in the Vision Quest movie.

Personnel

• Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
• Vivian Campbell – Guitar
• Jimmy Bain – Bass
• Claude Schnell – Keyboards
• Vinny Appice – Drums

"Holy Diver" (1983)

Album  : Holy Diver

• Stand Up And Shout
• Holy Diver
• Gypsy
• Caught In The Middle
• Don't Talk To Strangers
• Straight Through The Heart
• Invisible
• Rainbow In The Dark
• Shame On The Night

Holy Diver

Holy Diver is the debut album from American heavy metal band Dio.

Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre.

The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March 21, 1989. In the UK, it attained Silver certification (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in January 1986, at the same time as The Last in Line.

The original vinyl release had a photo-montage LP-liner, with images from both Rainbow and Black Sabbath days. The album was remastered and re-released by Rock Candy Records in 2005. 

The only notable addition to the original album is an audio interview with Ronnie James Dio. Tracks 10-19 on the 2005 edition are Dio's answers to various questions about the album. 

The questions are not posed during the interview itself, but can be found inside the CD's booklet instead. The B-sides to the singles, most of them live, remain generally unavailable on CD. Some were included in a limited-edition Japanese CD box set.

Studio album by Dio

Released May 25, 1983

Recorded 1983, Sound City Studios, Fortuna, California

Genre        Heavy metal

Length       41:36

Label         Warner Bros. (US and Canada) Vertigo

                   Rock Candy Records Mercury (South and North America)

Producer : Ronnie James Dio

Personnel Dio

1. Ronnie James Dio – vocals, keyboards
2. Vivian Campbell – guitar
3. Jimmy Bain – bass, keyboards
4. Vinny Appice – drums