⭐CRAIG GOLDY SAYS: VIVIAN CAMPBELL MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING 'PRETTY INSULTING' TO GET FIRED!

[@jedw9983]

I met Vivian Campbell in a record store in Southampton, 1985, when he was with Dio. He was a true gent and took the time to chat to us. He's a good man.

[@1peanut]

He is a great guy.

[@jedw9983]

@@1peanut yeah, really solid. Quite reserved but a real gent. I was at university in Southampton in the mid 80's and Dio were playing the Southampton Gaumont. Campbell was in the local record store and, for two teenagers (me and friend), we were a little star struck. But Campbell was fantastic, spoke with us for a while and signed our tickets.

[@stefhan4667]

@@jedw9983 Great story! I saw him playing with Last In Line 2019 near Hanover, Germany. Small club. He went into an Engl Blackmore 100 W amp with no (!!!) pedalboard. Just his Les Paul, which he used on the Dio records, the amp and the cabinet. True musicianship! Along with Michael Schenker (who is on top maybe of a local bonus, I must admit), my fave guitar player. What did Goldy do the last two decades, btw?

[@jedw9983]

@@stefhan4667 agreed. PS I love Schenker too. His latest album is superb btw. Saw him in 1981,1982 and with the same friends in 2018.

[@1peanut]

Vivian is a fantastic guitarist and a great guy. He has been in Dio, White Snake, Thin Lizzy, Def Leppard and Last In Line. He has wrote some fantastic music. Vivian helped me with my guitar and gave me a pickup which greatly helped my tone and sound. Vivian treated me well and was kind and generous. He is a great guy.

[@GordonHeaney]

Vivian says all he asked for was a promise to be fulfilled on a cut of the royalties rather than a basic, low wage. Ronnie seems to have reneged on that and didn't like Vivian asking for more money. I know that's one side of the story, guess we may never know the other side for sure. Much as I love Dio's voice, he fell out with so many people over the years, that alone raises some questions.

[@christophergordon7433]

I’m sure Wendy had something to do with it.

[@scottawes921]

I hate to think he was dishonest to his guys, but it doesn't sound like the band was dealt a fair hand.

[@carlwalker1623]

The fans buy songs and go to concerts to see the band members. They don’t go to see a bunch of crap on stage. I’ve never gone to a concert hoping they had a bunch of lasers and dragons and metal spiders and any other unnecessary crap or people on stage. A nice back drop if ya really feel like you need something behind ya and it better have the bands name on it so people know who they are. Broken promises and bad priorities.

[@shreddinjoe]

Ronnie was a kind, generous, and very intelligent interesting man...look what he did for Craig Goldie..took him off the streets and gave him a career..same with Viv..however, Ronnie and Wendy was raking in millions off the album sales and tours...I think Holy Diver went double platinum...and the next 2 records sold just as good...last in line and sacred heart...so YES!!! I probably would've been wondering why I wasn't making no money myself if I was Ronnie's band member

[@berwinenzemann3468]

@@shreddinjoe Craig Goldie was already very successful with Giuffria before he joined Dio. The Last In Line sold better than Holy Diver. Sacred Heart didn't reach the numbers of The Last In Line though the numbers were still decent. Dream Evil saw a huge drop in sales and that trend continued until Magica.

[@zombiemachinery4868]

Imagine someone wanting to finally get rewarded for his work after 3 records? Absolutely insane!!!

[@scottwhite2757]

Really,, No Kidding ,, Crazy..

[@shawnbrevik9759]

Yeah, I couldn’t agree more with you. They were never the same after he left.

[@TCraigGoldy]

@zombiemachinery4868 Viv gave Ronnie a disrespectful ultimatum instead of a respectful conversation about the discussion of the possibility of an equal share paradigm. Vinny says they all felt the same way. But where was the united front? The only united front that Vinny, Jimmy and Claude attended was when they asked me to give them some of my money that I made writing the "Dream Evil" album. All they had to do was respectfully speak with Ronnie about the possibility of an equal share situation by the 3rd album or so. I was there when that conversation first went down. And it was worded in that way. In the beginning Ronnie was more known at the time and invested so much of his own money especially fastforward to the Sacred Heart tour stage set. Those 3 guys couldn't care less about an 18 foot fire breathing dragon that shot lasers out of his eyes, and where those lasers landed explosions were seen, heard and felt. Real fire came out of the dragon's mouth. Ronnie gave them all a raise and he took a pay cut to have that all happen. There are two sides to every story. And the way Vinny and Jimmy handled it, was why they were both asked back in the band and why Ronnie gladly worked with Vinny in Heaven and Hell. Viv was the only one that never returned. Even I was asked back after I had left....three times. There's always 2 sides of the story. And your take is over simplified and incorrect.

[@jameshartwell4345]

It’s simple, Wendy said we’re keeping the money.

[@carlwalker1623]

They wasted the money on stage crap instead of paying the band that made the epic songs. Broken promises and bad priorities.

[@philfrank5601]

@@carlwalker1623 Hardly a waste! That stage show is the high point of heavy metal concert culture. It changed what fans could expect in the future. The Sacred Heart tour is a big part of Dio's legacy.

[@carlwalker1623]

@@philfrank5601 it’s a scam to take money from the bands period same with videos. All videos need is the band Lip-synching performance one camera , people wanna see who’s making the songs. I’ve never gone with hopes they would have a cool stage show.

[@peevee605]

If the band would have seen the numbers and made a mutual decision with a contract written….and it never happened. The Ozzy camp pulled the same things on the band members of Blizzard Of Ozz. Sign of the times.

[@fenderjazz6213]

Sign of sharon..

[@ronaldwilson9525]

Craig is a very good guitarist. Viv is a phenomenal guitarist and has his own distinct sound.

[@Hardnitz1974]

Very true:)

[@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251]

Vivian was a poor boy from Lisburn in Northern Ireland so no way he did anything wrong, Ronnie's wife screwed them just like ozzys wife did with the blizzard of ozz

[@Cincinnatus1869]

because he is from Northern Ireland he didn't do anything wrong ? That's some weird logic

[@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251]

@@Cincinnatus1869 did you read the full statement I wrote🤔

[@Cincinnatus1869]

@@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251 yes

[@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251]

@@Cincinnatus1869 then understand that I said it was Wendy who screwed them all

[@Cincinnatus1869]

@@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251 No way could she have done anything wrong . She's from the southern United States !

[@guitarrocks7776]

Wendy Dio = Sharon Osbourne. That’s basically what it is.

[@alc8114]

Well, I think Vivian has done well for himself, he has been in Def Leppard for about 30 years now, and still selling out stadiums with them! And they have a new album coming out Soon at the end of this month in May!

[@fenderjazz6213]

All he wanted was to be paid his worth, like dio promised..

[@evilervcowart6234]

Anyone: "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Me: "You'll get a hamburger when I get paid..." Words to live by 🤘😏

[@orionwarren4244]

Vivian Campbell was as much responsible for the 'Dio' sound as was the band's namesake. He deserved his cut. Nice to see VC out on the road with his tribute, 'Last In Line' band.

[@radupopescu2370]

The first three Dio albums are gold, and that's beccause of Vivian as well. After he left the rest of the albums failed to deliver at the same level.And the way he was treated made me love Dio just as a musician. No good man does that to his bandmates!

[@philfrank5601]

Nobody wants to admit that after 85, that sryle of heavy metal had already peaked. It was the time for pop hair metal bands, and no surprise, Dio blamed those bands for 'ruining everything' But no, they didn't: they actually gave legs to the pure heavy metal bands before, by extending the audiences and adding another five years to the scene. Nothing laats forever, just like the Rainbows and Deep Purples couldn't keep putting out the same stuff and expect growth. Dio had a phenomenal run, far better thm most. But you can't outrun trends and the fickle music fans who get bored with everything.

[@husq48]

Dream Evil was way better than Sacred Heart!

[@vandermoo6945]

@@husq48 Thank you for your Statement, a lot of People think that Viv was that Great that all his Albums with Dio where the best. Meanwhile Sacred Hearth is one of the weaker Albums in Dios catalog, and Dream Evil was a huge upstep for the Band.

[@berwinenzemann3468]

It's well known why Vivian got kicked out of Dio in the mid 80ies. Ronnie promised the other members a fair share in the profits as soon as the band would become profitable. Vivian adressed this again and again as time went by but Ronnie always told him to wait until the next record or tour would be done. After the first leg of the Sacred Heart tour Wendy Dio (the manager) finally decided to get rid of Vivian to put an end to his finnciel demands. To her the band was Ronnie and a bunch of replaceable accompanying musicians. Ronnie argued in interviews that it had been too early to give the other members a share of the profits because he had invested a lot of his personal assets in the band and needed to get it back with a decent rate of return first. As we all know Ronnie eventually fired the rest of the original members during the making of Lock Up The Wolfes and dissolved the band not long after the tour for that album to do a Black Sabbath reunion because record sales went downhill. He quit Sabbath and revived the Dio band one year later because he suspected that Iommie and Butler wanted to get rid of him to do a reunion with Ozzy to make more money. The Ozzy reunion happened and record sales for Dio got even worse. It was the 90ies and people were into Grunge, Alternative Rock and Nu Metal and all the rock stars from the 80ies struggled to maintain their lifestyle. No member of the Dio band other than Ronnie himself ever got a share of the profits. At the end of the day it was all about money.

[@philfrank5601]

This is as close to the truth as we'll get, and it makes sense.

[@longlivedio3498]

you guys are misinformed and ignorant he payed his band members lots of money give me a break

[@thetruthhurts6652]

I own a business and I have some core staff. When business is good they want to buy in but when business is bad like through COVID they want nothing to do with it. People do not realize how much personal investment there is for the guy that starts the business. That’s what a band is.. A business. Dio had the same issues with Blackmore except it was The other way around. When Blackmore wanted to wanted to make more commercial music so he could get some of his investments back Dio wanted nothing to do with it.

[@seagullpoet]

I bought the GRIM REAPER double live cd. Fun listen. Couldn’t believe when they performed a DIO cover. Raw sounding. A few hundred in the crowd.

[@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251]

Is it on amazon

[@shreddinjoe]

I loved scared heart...the tour was epic, to say the least...what an AWESOME stage show. I was heart broken when Viv was given his walking papers, and so quickly replaced by Craig Goldie..to the fans that was a slap in the face. Though Goldie did a stand up job, but he DIDN'T compare to Viv...the original writer, player of those songs..Dio kinda went on a downhill slide afterwards..but I gotta give the due gold to Mr Rowan Robertson...the guitarist on Lock Up The Wolves LP...That dude was 7 fuckin teen, yes 17... and was a force to be reckoned with....fantastic job on that album

[@scottwhite2757]

Full In Bloom’s interview with Goldy is top shelf..

[@TCraigGoldy]

@scottwhite2757 Thank you! Very cool thing to say!!

[@TCraigGoldy]

1) I was there when the "Promise was made", and heard it all 2) There's more to it than equal share by the 3rd album! 3) The 2nd half of the promise was, that all Viv, Jimmy and Vin had to do was.... exercise their solo deal clause in the record company contract on or before the 3rd album. THEY DID NOT!! This was standard practice back then and not a shock at all. 4) The 2nd half of the promise was predicated upon that other than the way the fans thought....it was in their hands ( Viv, Vin, Jimmy & even Claude )】 to simply pick up the solo deal clause in the record deal contract showing both how the MUSIC INDUSTRY VALUED VIV, JIMMY AND VIN....and if they got a record deal they no longer needed Ronnie. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN!!! 5) They all got a raise during Sacred Heart and Ronnie took a pay cut so they didn't have to hike up ticket prices for the 18 foot fire breathing Dragon and all. 6) Vivan's wife at the time...."jewels" was making waves of resentment for the band and Viv, saying Things like this to him.. "you don't need those guys!!" And he ( Viv ) was ok with that once it leaked to both Ronnie and Wendy! In fact...he defended her. 7) THAT IS WHY THERE WAS NO UNITED FRONT TO FACE RONNIE...as far as Vinny, Jimmy and Claude.....It is widely known that the "other band members felt the same as Viv"...but WHERE WAS THE UNITED FRONT???? WHY DID THEY ALL LEAVE VIVIAN TO DO THE DIRTY WORK? 8) THE ONLY UNITED FRONT THAT VINNY, JIMMY AND CLAUDE FORMED WAS A MEETING THEY CALLED WITH ME TO ASK ME TO GIVE THEM SOME OF MY MONEY I MADE IN THE AMOUNT PER SONG AND OVER-ALL ALBUM.!! RONNIE AND WENDY BOTH SAID "YOU'RE A FOOL IF YOU GIVE THEM A DIME OF YOUR MONEY BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORKED ON THIS." Now....I'm sorry to say that these ARE THE FACTS!!!!! NOT AN OPINION!!

[@shatterx2009]

An old friend of mine went to GIT and met Vivian he was nice enough to sign a picture for me even though I never went there.

[@Ricardo-go7yu]

Vivian has been very clear about what was promised to him and the rest of the band when they started Dio. When the bands popularity exploded promises made were not kept. When a band starts out it is never a given for success. Ronnie has stated he gave the rest of the band an opportunity. That statement is egotistical and the future of the band is never a given. Love everything Dio. Love Vivian. Love Ronnie, rest his soul. But I think its pretty clear, Viv stood up for himself.

[@hinjurock70]

What was insulting was Ronnie only paying him and the other band members $200/week.

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Backstage Pass Rock News and to Ronnie's fans in this comment section: I gotta say.....you all make many great points! Well thought out and well put together! And much of what you say is spot on! I do remember at one point Vivian's wife was making trouble in the Dio camp well before any of the stuff that brought Ronnie and Viv's collaboration to an end. It wasn't just money that was the problem! Plus, they all had really nice houses and really nice cars and I know cause I was in those homes and rode in those vehicles! They really do exaggerate the money thing. I was there from the very beginning from becoming close friends with Ronnie while he and I wrote and recorded together just the 3 of us many, many nights.....just Angelo ( Ronnie's studio engineer) Ronnie and myself. Ronnie spoke of many things between he and Wendy and he and his band. He and I would hang out just the two of us quite often. And I kept hearing him talk about Wendy and his band! And our friendship continued all the way up til his passing. He said some very unflattering things about me after I left.....mostly cause he and his pride got hurt. I never said anything negative about Ronnie or why I left and what transpired up to the point of me leaving....and he and I managed to stay friends. He came to my Wedding and went to my cousin's house for the reception and Wendy was still my manager! That says a lot about how good of people they were. There was a reason why I left.....and there was a reason why he asked me back into the band! And money was never the culprit. I've seen and heard Ronnie at his best and at his worst.....and THAT is why I think it wasn't as simple as they all say it was! I saw everything and heard everything and all of the conversations about money. Money was a problem because they didn't understand fully what Ronnie was trying to fully accomplish with his band! I've met with his attorney and accountant. Quite frankly....the guys got a raise during the Sacred Heart tour and Ronnie took a pay-cut due to the tour expenses! Even the fans don't agree about the 18 foot fire breathing dragon on stage. We toured with Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper.....and they too had elaborate stage sets....but they hiked up the ticket prices to offset the cost. Ronnie didn't. And THAT was really at the root of the problem. I know that if the band chose better communication skills....Viv would've still been in the band! In every relationship. ....at some point....someone is going to say....."it's not what you said.....it was HOW you said it that got me so mad"! Just these bits alone are at the real root of the problem. The accountant showed us that if it was an equal share during the Sacred Heart tour.....they all did make very close to the same amount of money! Numbers don't lie! Ronnie has always been employed and has had a record deal of his own his entire life.....due to his voice and writing skills.....the rest of the band....did not. They had the skills and talent.....but not the record deal. That constant flow of money goes a very long way.....Ronnie's income didn't start and stop like theirs did. The deal was....that if they became as famous as he by the time of the third album or whenever they did.....that whichever came first....the equal share would begin. They all thought they reached that goal and so did the fans.....but back in the 80's......he who had the record deal was the most important member of the band. Now, if Viv, Jimmy and Vinny all went out and got separate record deals of their own on the very same scale as Ronnie.....their would've been an equal share leverage in favor of the other members ....because they wouldn't need Ronnie as much as they did! And that's the bottom line from the 80's. ....people are still talking about this and it's 2022.....but they are viewing an 80's situation thru they eyes of 2022. Anyways! Ronnie loved all of you! And so do I !!!!!

[@longlivedio3498]

thanks for keeping dios memory alive and telling your stories

[@TCraigGoldy]

@@longlivedio3498 Thank you my friend!! That means a lot! And I appreciate that very much and I appreciate you!!

[@frankthomas620]

Some commenters are blaming Wendy and rightly so. That said, let's not give Ronnie a pass here as he knew good and well what he was doing. I don't care if he's an iconic heavy metal vocalist...he screwed these guys royally. Jimmy Bain essentially said the same and so has Vinnie in his "aw shucks" way. It's a huge stain on Dio's legacy.

[@joe5516]

Bottom line..EGO and GREED...is what destroyed it..and destroys every great band..I heard Ronnie tell a fan on video when he was giving autographs that "That guy (Vivian) is a piece of s##t"..Then he went on to insult Def Leppard... Vivians new band after Whitesnake..Called them.."Diarea"

[@sherry8894]

@Joe Yes. I saw that video ! He talked so bad about Viv . That was so unprofessional it wasn't even funny. Vivian Campbell is one bad ass guitarist and Dio knew that but in the end he chose money and greed instead of the band .

[@georgecc]

He wasn't wrong about Lep. Those guys turned to mush.

[@georgecc]

Bain said it all with the quote at the end.

[@frozendivots1564]

It doesn’t matter if Ronnie decided to increase tour expenses in 1985. The point is he didn’t not pay his band like he said he would. He should have made paying the band a priority over having a dragon onstage.

[@blakedawson2129]

was in line getting autographs late in Ronnie's career, after lock up the wolves. someone mentioned Vivian and dio got pissed and said something ugly about him. it really surprised me, even to the point that I wanted to say something to him for talking smack behind a guys back. I've heard him speak poorly of Blackmore too.

[@longlivedio3498]

lol Blackmore is a asshole I swear I’m the only dio fan on here

[@georgecc]

He was talking about the guy? You mean like what youre doing now here? Lol

[@blakedawson2129]

@@georgecc ya. shame on me for talking smack about Dio.

[@ricdale7813]

Yeah Viv did something awful. He demanded that Dio honor the band agreement of more pay and credit sharing that Ronnie had made 2 years earlier. When Ronnie and Wendy said too bad, Viv said Go Screw yourself's and he was fired. The story has been substantiated by other band members and folks whom worked with the Dio's at that time. Craig himself was royally screwed on pay yet continued too work almost for free for many years. Much like Rhoads was too Ozzy's solo startup Vivian was too Dio's initial solo success. It's no accident that after Viv left each following release saw little to no airplay or radio hype as they enjoyed with Holy Diver, The Last in Line and Sacred Heart. Dio miscalculated the importance of Viv's and his bands contributions quite sadly. If Viv was such a bad guy then why would Jimmy Bain and Vinnie Appice join Viv in the Last in Line band? sadly Dio was his own undoing in all of this plain and simple. Greed.

[@TCraigGoldy]

Your comment has a right and wrong ratio of more wrong than right. There's a reason why people get upset in business and other relationships which is where the saying "It's not what you said but the way you said it that pisses me off" comes from!

[@carlwalker1623]

😂 lol we need a dragon and a metal spider, instead of paying the guys that created the epic songs. Fan didn’t go out and buy dragons and spiders, they bought songs. You don’t need stupid story videos, you just need a band performance videos . They made a huge mistake in wasting money. You wanna image, make a huge back drop, or back drops. As a fan of many bands....... I’ve never gone to a concert hoping they had a bunch of crap on stage for me to look at instead of the band members. I watch the band members.

[@Joybuzzard]

Vivian Campbell said he wanted songwriting credits for stuff he wrote. That was all. Dio convinced the original band that him having sole songwriting credits was somehow a greater advantage to the band as a whole, but that once they were successful he could start sharing songwriting credits.

[@longlivedio3498]

dio fucking wrote most of the songs

[@1peanut]

I think Wendy got greedy. Kind of like Sharon with Ozzy.

[@josephbowles4995]

It’s a huge shame what it is huge shame Vivian was a huge part of that style in that sound but it is what it is

[@thetruthhurts6652]

Hey, all these musicians who want equal shares should also pay equal shares to all the expenses in running a band.

[@lovedc4ever678]

If that's true I don't care what he did. I got blessed enough to get to see them both in Seattle at a small venue. With Dio being one of the greatest voices ever and playing "Rainbow in the Dark" until I had actually killed three cassette tapes, I got close enough to grab a guitar pick Vivian threw out there and being front and center to see Dio was to die for. I cried for a week almost non stop when Dio died. That said, Campbell is one of the greatest guitarists ever!

[@masterdingus7074]

In the wise words of ronnie james dio "def leppard is a great band to have diahrea with"

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

Yeah, saying "Keep your promise and pay me" is really insulting.

[@dragongeraldb]

I used to love Kiss when i was little and dressed up and all that but in no universe is Kiss heavy metal, not even close.

[@image30p]

This isn't unusual. People get fired for asking to be paid. Although I agree that Ronnie should have made more because it was his name and his record contract. I think whatever was left over Ronnie should have received half and the rest of the band should have split the other half between the three of them for the third album. Song ownership though is chords and lyrics. So I know people don't like to hear that, but that how it works and then whatever is agreed to in publishing and merchandising. But it's just so heartbreaking in this situation because that combination of players was absolute magic. The odds of finding a perfect chemistry like that are not good. If you find it you'd better hang onto to it because it probably won't happen again

[@therightisright8276]

Jammed with him at a Dallas Guitar Show early one morning but didn't know who he was until a photographer asked if I wanted my photo taken with him. When he said Vivian I thought he meant a girl model hired to promote gear there and he explained this tall, thin longhaired guy I'd been noodling around with was the guitarist for Dio and we all laughed. Super nice guy. I heard later he only got paid like 500. a week and I'm sure he needed more money so asking Ronnie for it and being turned down was why he left. Dio and Ozzy (well Sharon really) were greedy, stingy assholes who took the lion's share, paying Vivian, Jake, Randy and others hardly anything. These guys deserved FAR better but held out because they all loved playing and were making names for themselves for better things to come. But I see Wendy's and Sharon's faces and bodies with all the plastic surgeries, expensive clothes, mansions, cars, jets and find them disgusting.

[@zomielastaroth4956]

With all respect Goldy you were not in the band then and all you do is guessing. Richke Falkner said things about KK Downing and he was not either in the band then. Sometimes it's better to keep opions for yourself. I remember when Goldy left Dio becuase of his marriage with the danish wife and Ronnie was interviewed in swedish radio. I can't remember exactly what Ronnie said after many years. But he had nothing positive to say about Goldy.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

It's bizarre. Goldy seems like a decent guy - or at least he makes it a big point to make himself seem like a good guy. But he kind of comes off like one of those bootlickers who says you shouldn't ever stand up for yourself at work, you should just eat shit and be happy you even have a job at all.

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Zomiel Astaroth I was there from the very beginning!! Ronnie and I were friends since 1983 and I was there during these discussions and heard and saw it all first hand! Someone also made a comment about wages and even complained about the food they ate on tour! Those concerts were catered.....and that catering company toured alongside of the band....there were many times that we all ate the same thing.....Ronnie too. The crew was hired from a company back then.....lighting, PA equipment, stage set.....the only crew members that waere not from a company was the sound man.....that was Angelo....Ronnie's studio engineer.....and some of the drum, bass, keyboard and guitar techs. They didn't get paid more than the band. The truck drivers, catering, lighting, PA system, rigging, Stage set, Pyro, etc........their salaries were set by the companies hired... .....not Ronnie!

[@longlivedio3498]

@@TCraigGoldy glad you responded lots of people who are misinformed

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Zomiel Astaroth Not sure why this popped up in my recent notifications....but... You're right....I was not on the band then. I was there when the main portions of this argument were discussed with his band. At the time of Holy Diver....I was living at Ronnie's house for months....and many band meetings took place in that house. Wendy lived with Ronnie then and Jimmy and I were good friends at that time......and I got the whole story from what I witnessed and what I heard straight from "the horses mouths"! If you're standing on the corner of an intersection waiting to cross the street....and you witness a car running the red light as another car enters the intersection too soon...snd the crash cauaes serious injuries....the crash is obvious and you don't have to "be in the car" to know, see and hear what exactly happened! Especially if the police want you to stay to get your statement as a witness and while you wait you hear everything said by both drivers, the ambulance on the seen and from the police! I was also there during the "Sacred Heart" tour....Wendy was still my manager from the days of Rough Cutt. And I heard and saw personally also what was said and done! Sorry....I understand why you say what you say....and I'm not the one calling interviewers to make these statements....they come to me....cause they know I will tell them what I know!! Not what I'm guessing! If there is ever a topic where I have no direct knowledge of....I always say that first and only speak as what I can think when I was close enough to connect the dots! But I never say something as if it were a fact unless I know first hand and for sure that it is indeed a fact! I would never do an interview about something that I know nothing about! It's a waste of time! As nice as Ronnie is ...he has an ego and a temper like we all do....but to extremes....only because he is extremely passionate about his music and the choices he makes....and every time I left the band since my return for the Magica album were for family reasons and not like the 1st time I left! And Ronnie gets his feelings hurt when it is my decision to leave and not his!!!

[@b_side8669]

I mean no one knows for sure what truly happened viv asked for Ronnie to keep his word or viv left because of writing differences or different musical directions of the band Musically . again no one knows for sure it’s just stories after stories just know one man is here & unfortunately one man is not with us anymore . so it’s easy for anyone to say this happened or that happened because Ronnie is gone so he can’t really defend himself if he isn’t here

[@ericscottstevens]

That stage dragon, the head was sold at the DIO estate sale a few years ago. So it still exists, the body probably was scrapped many decades ago.

[@tonysimmons5729]

Jimmy Bains comments were the real WOW here. He didn’t mince words. Makes sense too. By 85’ RJD had been a professional singer for over 20 years. He was singing really challenging stuff and his vocal chords had been ridden hard and put away wet. Not surprising that he was in decline. The Dehumanizer record he did with Sabbath in 91’ was proof. His voice was straining at the top of his range and he wasn’t challenging himself to 4 bar long notes anymore. Great vocalist for sure! Human as well.

[@barryrammer7906]

You have to remember when Dio was putting up all the money he was personally responsible for it. He was trying to recover his money and pay back debts. it probably took 3 albums to recover it. If you listen to David Coverdale, he had the same problem with John Sykes because these guys don't understand how much in debt these guys are when they launch a band on their own. So I see both sides, and let's face it. It was Dio and Coverdale name on the dotted line for the fronting of money by management and private investors that launched any of these guys. So, you got to understand both sides of the coin. There are no villains, just musicians. So, in Dio's case, I think he has a heart of gold. When he was on Rainbow, he saw kids waiting for days to get Ritchie Blackmore's autograph. He would just go by, and Dio saw that and said to himself he's never going to be like that if he gets big like Blackmore. He kept his word. Sign autographs for kids from Rainbow every chance he got. Now Coverdale is another story. He's always been cool, but he is a different cup of tea. I love the all, but Dio, it's hard to think he was screwing them out of writing credits.

[@tommyaddison6539]

Craigs a great player and a stand up guy.

[@freepressright]

True, but he is wrong in this case

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Tommy Addisom Thanks for your kind words!

[@TCraigGoldy]

@@freepressright I understand why you would say that about me being wrong.....but I saw all this first hand! Ronnie did I were friends since 1983.....and I was around during the discussions of pay and promises. They all were able to afford really nice houses.....I've been I'm them.....nice cars....rode in them. There's way more to this than what is in the media. But thanks! And I know that all this come from everyone's love for Ronnie and Viv!

[@julianyo7072]

Dio had all the ingredients to be the next big thing in the 80's and he blowed it up. Not properly rewarding your band members, who are the core of your business and your success, and spending it all in yourself and useless expensive stage crap and personnel is like getting a Lamborghini by luck and spending your limited budget on leather seats, a big stereo system, a mahogany dashboard, expensive tires with also expensive fancy rims and, instead of putting good refined gasoline in the tank so the Lambo gets you from point A to point B... putting bad distilled vodka from potato peels. Yes, the Lambo will run like mad from the first kilometers because it had some good gasoline at first, but at some point you consume it, put the bad crap into the tank, the Lambo runs for a few kilometers more and then starts failing until it totally stops. And then, a Ford Pinto surpasses you and gets to point B before you, which is embarrassing and humilliating. And that's what happened to Dio. Get your priorities straight, people. If you have five things that you have to do in your business and number one is what keeps it afloat and thriving, you concentrate in that one and when it's covered, you can put your attention on the other four. Oh, and never get your girlfriends or wives involved in band businesses. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever in a million billion years. Broads and bands are like dynamite and fire.

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Julian Yo I gotta say.....you make many great points! Well thought out and well put together! And much of what you say is spot on! I do remember at one point Vivian's wife was making trouble in the Dio camp well before any of the stuff that brought Ronnie and Viv's collaboration to an end. It wasn't just money that was the problem! Plus, they all had really nice houses and really nice cars and I know cause I was in those homes and rode in those vehicles! They really do exaggerate the money thing. I was there from the very beginning from becoming close friends with Ronnie while he and I wrote and recorded together just the 3 of us many, many nights.....just Angelo ( Ronnie's studio engineer) Ronnie and myself. Ronnie spoke of many things between he and Wendy and he and his band. He and I would hang out just the two of us quite often. And I kept hearing him talk about Wendy and his band! And our friendship continued all the way up til his passing. He said some very unflattering things about me after I left.....mostly cause he and his pride got hurt. I never said anything negative about Ronnie or why I left and what transpired up to the point of me leaving....and he and I managed to stay friends. He came to my Wedding and went to my cousin's house for the reception and Wendy was still my manager! That says a lot about how good of people they were. There was a reason why I left.....and there was a reason why he asked me back into the band! And money was never the culprit. I've seen and heard Ronnie at his best and at his worst.....and THAT is why I think it wasn't as simple as they all say it was! I saw everything and heard everything and all of the conversations about money. Money was a problem because they didn't understand fully what Ronnie was trying to fully accomplish with his band! I've met with his attorney and accountant. Quite frankly....the guys got a raise during the Sacred Heart tour and Ronnie took a pay-cut due to the tour expenses! Even the fans don't agree about the 18 foot fire breathing dragon on stage. We toured with Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper.....and they too had elaborate stage sets....but they hiked up the ticket prices to offset the cost. Ronnie didn't. And THAT was really at the root of the problem. I know that if the band chose better communication skills....Viv would've still been in the band! In every relationship. ....at some point....someone is going to say....."it's not what you said.....it was HOW you said it that got me so mad"! Just these bits alone are at the real root of the problem. The accountant showed us that if it was an equal share during the Sacred Heart tour.....they all did make very close to the same amount of money! Numbers don't lie! Ronnie has always been employed and has had a record deal of his own his entire life.....due to his voice and writing skills.....the rest of the band....did not. They had the skills and talent.....but not the record deal. That constant flow of money goes a very long way.....Ronnie's income didn't start and stop like theirs did. The deal was....that if they became as famous as he by the time of the third album or whenever they did.....that whichever came first....the equal share would begin. They all thought they reached that goal and so did the fans.....but back in the 80's......he who had the record deal was the most important member of the band. Now, if Viv, Jimmy and Vinny all went out and got separate record deals of their own on the very same scale as Ronnie.....their would've been an equal share leverage in favor of the other members ....because they wouldn't need Ronnie as much as they did! And that's the bottom line from the 80's. ....people are still talking about this and it's 2022.....but they are viewing an 80's situation thru they eyes of 2022. Anyways! Nice illustration though!!!

[@julianyo7072]

@@TCraigGoldy Thanks for the info. I don't have all the information like you, the insiders, have, and I only can judge with what I know about the subject. And what I know is that I absolutely love the first two Dio albums and that promises were made and weren't fulfilled or some misunderstanding happened and that that magic was broken and Dio never had a killer album like those two and it annoys me to no end because I loved the band and Ronnie's work with Rainbow and Sabbath. That's all. And I feel that when something works, you have to feed it, otherwise it stops working. And no disrespect to your work with Dio, there were some good songs after those two, but never a killer album that you want to listen to from beginning to the end, over and over. Vivian says that Ronnie never fulfilled his promises and that he was the squeaky wheel asking for the fulfillment of the agreement and that he was fired because he refused to sign the contract he was given due to it being contrary to what it was agreed between Ronnie and the rest of the band. Ronnie said that Vivian was a piece of s***. Maybe Ronnie should have addressed the issue with all his band members, or take another action so the project could continue working. Maybe Vivian was too young and pushy and maybe Ronnie wasn't in a good moment in his life with Wendy and maybe finances weren't all that good for the band. What they should have done was address the problem in a mature sincere way. But they didn't and the magic was never captured again. I think that Ronnie should have taken Wendy out of the equation and, if it was a band and not a star with hired musicians, talk directly to his bandmates. Yes, you are the biggest star, but you need the perfect match to continue working. And you don't achieve that by sending a one-sided contract via mail and say sign it or you are fired. That's a power move and a band killer one. Well, my two cents with the information that I have. If you have something that works very well, your priority is to make it keep working and you have to be creative to find solutions to the problems that may arise.

[@chefstar72]

John and Yoko, Ozzy and Sharon, Ronnie and Wendy, and the list goes on.... ....lol

[@g4brielb0nfim]

Kurt and Courtney edit: I recently heard that Courtney started to put shit into Kurt's head so he would fire Dave Grohl because he started speaking for the band on interviews. Not long after that he commited suicide, before he even did anything

[@22ucespatriotwarrior88]

Great piece, subscribed !!

[@paulrivera3484]

#1 rule in business: Take care of your people. Loved Ronnie way back in the way back, but when he failed to honor a deal made in good faith with a young, financially struggling musician, he not only showed himself to be the bad businessman he was purported to be, but also a liar.

[@philfrank5601]

If Ronnie told him the truth from the onset, explained it like Craig did regarding the money, Vivian still would have gone along for the ride. Vivian was a nobody, but he always, ALWAYS should have had the publishing on the songs he cowrote. But that's not how business works. And Dio knew that. They were both lucky, really. Had Vivian been given the cut he deserved and never left, he would have split at some point I'm sure, just like most musicians who joined an already-known musician.

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Phil Frank Now THAT is a very good way to put it!!

[@SKRooU2]

I have talked to Viv in person and the internet and he has always been a super nice guy. He even signed my last in line ticket and the show wasn't even over. I was kinda drunk and forgot they had encore songs to play lmao. But yea Ronnie didn't live up to his promise to pay a fair share and I think he always regretted firing Viv. Dio could never top those first albums without Viv.

[@sherry8894]

Having Viv in the band was the best thing Dio ever did. Firing him was the worst !

[@stefanreiman3527]

That shows us people when it comes to the Money it’s over with friendship and happy times

[@carpenoctem775]

Ronnie James dio was such a gentleman. More people in rock should be like him. Intelligent, well spoken, zero ego, humble, and talented.

[@owlperchedsilo3745]

Carpe Noctem 775, you got it a bit wrong. i was an acquaintance with a couple of his later band members so i got to "hang out" with the man/band on a few occasions back in the 90's and early 2000's and he was not always a gentleman. he was quite the snob at times and smoked A LOT of weed. he would blow smoke in your face to prove a point and you better put up with it or else. he was the boss and he always let you know that. he could be a vicious little guy but with a god like voice. i kissed his ass just so i could party with him/band without him throwing me out ,you know? humble? no. "zero ego"? NO.

[@donaldroberts7242]

@@owlperchedsilo3745 I also had a friend played with the cousin of on of one of Ronnie’s 90’s band members who he asked, how does your cousin like playing with Dio? And his answer was , it’s great if you don’t mind constantly being reminded by Ronnie about who he was stuff like Sabbath would have been a footnote in history if he didn’t save them

[@johnmiller5679]

Campbell did not leave to go to Whitesnake. He was fired and was the. Offered a position in Whitesnake. Vivian was promised he was joining a band not a solo project. He initially signed in for what he was getting in the beginning because he was young and ended to take it but by the third album he spoke up and said are we gonna get paid more or what. Since Campbell is Playing with some of the original members now he may have been right.

[@gator2813]

Money has a way of turning even the best of friends against each other. How many "artists" have dumped their bandmates and become solo artists with backing bands after the money started rolling in? Too many IMO.

[@rticle15]

Yeah, Vivian had the balls to ask for a fair wage.

[@arturoalmazan5262]

Vivian Campbell was a great guitar player . whether they fired him or not , it certainly was a blow to the band. Dio hired Craig who in my opinion delivered. his stuff on the Giufrria albums was awesome. and he did dream evil and the rest of the albums . Campbell clearly wanted out of the band and I'm not sure if Ronnie's wife had to do something with that.

[@shreddinjoe]

Vivian wanted his fair dues...afterall, he made a very shoddy salary on the tours, and saw no residuals for the records he played on, shirts sold, tour books sold at the shows...nothing...can't blame him for stepping up. I love Ronnie, but that was very unfair to his bandmates

[@SKRooU2]

Dude dio had 3 other guitarists. Rowan Robertson Tracy g and Doug aldrich

[@arturoalmazan5262]

@@SKRooU2 I know that

[@shreddinjoe]

@@SKRooU2 yes indeed..I'm quite aware of that...Tracy G was not very good in comparison to Viv or Craig in my opinion... ...And Doug never recorded with Ronnie..exception of a live DVD..those 2 are kinda after thoughts to me..although I do have great admiration for Sir Doug. Viv created the magic and chemistry with Ronnie...no thoughts for Tracy G on my end, except he landed a good gig

[@arturoalmazan5262]

@@SKRooU2 Doug Aldrich is awesome. Rowan roberston should have stayed with Ronnie and record another album

[@remnantsofasoundblast]

The best line up was the classic original. That says it all

[@Stufftowatch21]

I would be beyond pissed if I was promised something , getting paid 💩💩 and not getting what I deserved .

[@darenbergstrom9565]

Just goes to show if you want what you ask for you need to get it in writing. Don’t get me wrong I loved Ronnie but unfortunately business is business and you don’t always get what you want.

[@chadfortman8098]

I lost respect to Ronnie when seen him attacking Vivian for joining Def Leppard. My be it anger that killed him with cancer

[@thelolguy007]

The way I see it is Ronnie promised something to the band and come that time to fulfill that promise Wendy (& Ronnie) wouldn’t have it. So you’re gonna take it or speak up. And Vivian spoke up numerous times and so Ronnie has enough and fired him rather than do what was promised and give the band a better deal

[@sabtahi13]

Craig Goldy is not the one to comment on this, it seems...

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Stephan Abtahi I was there from the very beginning and saw and heard things pertaining to raise first hand! Ronnie and I were friends since 1983! There was another comment about wages and food! Those concerts were catered.....and that catering company toured alongside of the band....there were many times that we all ate the same thing.....Ronnie too. The crew was hired from a company back then.....lighting, PA equipment, stage set.....the only crew members that waere not from a company was the sound man.....that was Angelo....Ronnie's studio engineer.....and some of the drum, bass, keyboard and guitar techs. They didn't get paid more than the band. The truck drivers, catering, lighting, PA system, rigging, Stage set, Pyro, etc........their salaries were set by the companies hired... .....not Ronnie!

[@plasticoflamingo2952]

I don't know about all that, but I do remember reading an interview with Viv. He spent a bit of time, trash talking Dio's singing. I'm sure that didn't help Viv's case. When you're hired by a band named after the singer, probably not a good idea to rip on the singer.

[@SKRooU2]

That was after he was fired. Viv Vinny jimmy and Claude all got screwed on their pay. Viv was the one that was vocal about not getting his fair share he was promised so he was fired. Dip started all of the b.s. and trash talk.

[@plasticoflamingo2952]

@@SKRooU2 Nah. The interview was in either "Guitar Player" or "Guitar World", when Viv was still with Dio. Not long before he was out, though.

[@freepressright]

@@plasticoflamingo2952 I've never once seen an account of Vivian trash talking Dio while still a member of the band. Find me a link.

[@plasticoflamingo2952]

@@freepressright Link? It was the 1980's. Link. SMH.

[@freepressright]

@@plasticoflamingo2952 @@plasticoflamingo2952 if Vivian ever shit talked Dio's abilities in print even one time while in his band, it never would have been overlooked or forgotten by documentary makers. I scoured the net for archived information last night and don't find even the first mention of it, 1984 or not. In all the content that has been produced on their feud, there is zero reference to that ever happening.

[@joseiracheta3817]

Ya he dared to call dio out on his promise

[@MarislavaBermann]

Vivian is the only one who says that Dio did something unfair. I always thought it's pretty strange... Totally agree with Craig. We'll never know the truth but I think Ronnie was angry with Viv for a reason. Tons of people say Ronnie was a gent and very good person... Probably my opinion won't be popular here, haha.

[@frodofraggins]

Ronnie and Wendy treated them like session players. Despicable.

[@johngregory1875]

What ever the preference is .The sexual experience is connected to the lower polarity of consciousness, It doesn’t matter .Anger greed and lust are what keep the soul in bondage. The goal of human existence is to rise up above the animalistic instincts and experience the state of spirit or pure consciousness . This is difficult to do in this low age and due to the low spiritual vibration. So you have to raise the vibration which will eventually put the animal listic instinct into a state-of-remission .Then at some point you will experience your true nature or Self. Oooommm

[@robbymarton74]

Half of the story?

[@carlwalker1623]

The fans buy songs and go to concerts to see the band members. They don’t go to see a bunch of crap on stage. I’ve never gone to a concert hoping they had a bunch of lasers and dragons and metal spiders and any other unnecessary crap or people on stage. A nice back drop if ya really feel like you need something behind ya and it better have the bands name on it so people know who they are. Broken promises and bad priorities.

[@Muddpuppy4real]

Ya Ronnie, He spoke for the rest of the guys because he had the biggest balls, that means you should have fired all the guys. Remember Ronnie ya can’t take it with ya.

[@blaizeroberts7603]

Ronnie once said that his band is about Progression.

[@bobthebear1246]

Interesting. 🤔

[@jimmyjambhere]

If the band Dio woulda been more of a band instead of a band of hired guns they woulda been better. I love Dio don’t get me wrong but if it was more of a band and stayed the same 4 guys they could have been way better.

[@robertcampbell3849]

At the end of the day its all down to $$$$$$$ and greed

[@LEIFanevret]

When dollar signs in the eyes! Blinds the creativity of music! And there after destroys bands! Thanks a lot?! Not!

[@jorgepaul5049]

It was not insulting, he only claimed what belonged to him, his corresponding royalties, he ate the same food as the road crew and received a lower salary than the road crew. don't you think it's humiliating?

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Jorge Paul Those concerts were catered.....and that catering company toured alongside of the band....there were many times that we all ate the same thing.....Ronnie too. The crew was hired from a company back then.....lighting, PA equipment, stage set.....the only crew members that waere not from a company was the sound man.....that was Angelo....Ronnie's studio engineer.....and some of the drum, bass, keyboard and guitar techs. They didn't get paid more than the band. The truck drivers, catering, lighting, PA system, rigging, Stage set, Pyro, etc........their salaries were set by the companies hired... .....not Ronnie!!

[@longlivedio3498]

honestly the people putting all the stuff together should be paid as much if not more than the band members they make it so the band can play

[@LEIFanevret]

Ronnie messed up big Time! And letting that woman be in charge, never let a relationship partner be the manager! That should go without saying! And Ronnie himself experienced bad stuff like that and other bad behavior Beeing in rainbow,black Sabbath! And said he would never be like that himself! Yeah right!? Disgusting bussiness! Just awful! And that puts his legacy down a bit! But best metal voice! And lyricist! But Beeing a honorable person? No!

[@MAHAMADAMAHAMADA-wb2ep]

HOLY DIVER VIVIAN THE BEST

[@kingbrutusxxvi]

I like Craig but I don't think he knows what he's talking about in this instance. Vivian has discussed the issues with Dio (and Wendy) at great length. Jimmy Bain backed Vivian's story completely (and even had his own problems with Dio) and Carmine said he didn't want to pick sides but that Vivian wasn't wrong. When every member of the band other than Dio is saying it's true then it's probably true. Just look at the other legendary metal frontman whose wife is the band's manager (clearly I'm talking about Ozzy) and you'll see another laundry list of ex-bandmates that have nothing good to say about the experience.

[@spaceavenger54]

Just saying, but carmine wasn't in the band, I assume you mean Vinnie.

[@frankpfau9054]

yes, he asked for royalties…

[@laabsenceofcol8079]

How much of it was Wendy though. She seems to like her face treatments etc I feel like Ronnie was under her thumb in some way.

[@gator2813]

Sounds like everybody else thinks Craig Goldy is full of sh*t. That's what you get for commenting on something you know nothing about.

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Pecker Wood Well put! Everyone can look back at something and feel like they could've handled it better! And I know that most of all this is out of their love for Ronnie.....and Viv! Those first 3 albums were amazing!! And Viv IS thee quintessential Dio guitarist no question! My biggest hope for what I brought to the table is that as much as Ronnie sang about being sympathetic to the Dreamer.....that it was a dream come true for me to be in his band showing that dreams do come true! And I enjoy trying to treat his fans as good as he did!!

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Grumpy Thank you for that! And this is Craig. My legal first name is Thomas and my middle name is Craig. When I went to create a YT profile.....my name was already taken!, so I used my legal first name.....Thomas. Thanks!!

[@gator2813]

@@TCraigGoldy I agree with Grumpy. Takes a big man to admit his mistakes. And you didn't weasel out by saying your words were taking out of context. Rock on Craig.

[@TCraigGoldy]

@@gator2813 Hey there my friend!! Forgive my ignorance......there's been a lot going on right now so please forgive me for asking which mistake I admitted to? Sorry my friend! Gonna reply this to Grumpy too! I feel so stupid after getting those nice comments from you guys I've made a lot of mistakes and I went back and listened to video and I'm still wondering which mistakes you and Grumpy are talking about!! Sorry and thank you!!@

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Grumpy Hey there!! Forgive my ignorance......there's been a lot going on right now so please forgive me for asking which mistake I admitted to? Sorry my friend! Gonna reply this to Grumpy too! I feel so stupid after getting those nice comments from you guys I've made a lot of mistakes and I went back and listened to video and I'm still wondering which mistakes you and Grumpy are talking about!! Sorry and thank you!!

[@RS-qo1rb]

They are a hired band. I know it’s not great and low. But that’s the industry. What deal is what you make. Plus he is in def Leppard. I am sure got a good deal with them.

[@LEIFanevret]

And when the rest of the top notch Guys! Says the same as Viv! Hello! Ugly behavior!

[@geniesserman]

Vinnie and Jimmy were telling the same story, i do not think Viv did something insulting.

[@BrooklynZBoyz]

How much money did they spend to film The Last In Line music video, it was crazy and probably cost a lot back then.

[@c.d.8975]

All that money Dio kept for himself ain't doin him much good now is it?

[@thedddemon]

Stupid computer speech it's annoying!

[@stefhan4667]

What did Goldy do the last two decades? W*nking because Blackmore once had asked him (according to Goldy) about a certain technique on guitar? Or anything important in music? I must have missed this....sorry Craig!

[@longlivedio3498]

dream evil magica master of the moon and lots of side projects and magica is my favorite dio album of all time

[@greyblooz]

You used an AI-voice to quote the actual interview with Craig Goldy that I just heard but didn't include a link to that one as well. Unacceptably lame. Stop filling up the space with garbage.

[@jayteesgear]

Well he voted for Biden whatta ya expect? 😂

[@longlivedio3498]

what does that have to do with anything?

[@philfrank5601]

If it takes something that bad to get fired, then why hasn't Craig admitted why he left the band after Drwam Evil? I'll bet it was for the same reasons, more or less. He never saw royalties either, and wasn't going to stick around for three albums like Viv did. He knew the situation, being an intelligent man, and left.

[@TCraigGoldy]

@Phil Frank I appreciate what you meant! But a lot what you said isn't actually true! There's a reason why I left and why I was asked back for 3 albums. My point was just that all things considered.....Ronnie was a very reasonable man.....and if he's approached badly.....he will respond....and it more often than not it wouldn't be in the accusers favor.

[@manuelbasurto2295]

Don't be such a bozo Goldie... Try going to work and don't get paid...and,again not get paid fairly for not just work but also your creative contribution... A 🔥 fire breathing Dragon? My balls!! Dio might as well be giving away diamonds to the fans,Yet it was not Vivian's fault ! What part He was not get paid you didn't understand?

[@longlivedio3498]

here’s a suggestion read dios autobiography

[@ajjy1110]

He didn't do anything except not wanting to get ripped off by duo any longer

[@spleefthedude7747]

I heard he was not coming up with the riffs and dio had to hand hold him. Maybe that’s why he just wanted to be a rythm guitar with DL. Seemed like a monster on lead guitar tho!!!

[@jesseforrest416]

Dio was trash no wonder he wouldn't want to open for Ozzy. Dude was so full of himself

[@MayweatherjrWONandsoTrump]

Very stupid comment from someone that had earned a living in by replication and being in the shadows of a Creative Guitar God..

[@hedwithhorns82]

Yeah. Only random internet neverwas trolls are allowed to vent their opinions. Not someone who was actually present and involved in the band.😉

[@mk.1175]

DIO CHEATED VIVIAN OUT OF MONEY 💰