Artscapes: Creative minds, artistic pursuits and inventive filmmaking
On the throne of heavy metal music, one voice reigns supreme: Ronnie James Dio's. If you've ever wailed the words "heaven," "rock" or "hell" while making devil horn fingers, you've already impersonated him. Widely regarded as the world's most influential heavy metal artist, he fronted seminal bands Elf and Rainbow before replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath and forming his own groups, including Heaven & Hell and the platinum-selling Dio. Pressured to go pop from the very start of his storied career, he refused to sell out his voice or his vision. Dio tapped into something no one else could touch—a deep connection with his audience. Metalheads and filmmakers Demian Fenton and Don Argott (Framing John DeLorean) recreate fantastic 80s scenes and hairstyles, while mega-fan Jack Black, fellow musicians from Judas Priest and Deep Purple and more share the inner life of a quiet legend who forged his own path straight into heavy metal history. Myrocia Watamaniuk