Profile Text
Dio in 2007, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Ronald James Padavona
Date of Birth: July 10, 1942
Place of Birth: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.
Date of Death: May 16, 2010
Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: *75% Italian *25% English
Ronnie James Dio was an American heavy metal singer singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the frontman and vocalist of heavy metal band Dio, and also performed with rock bands Elf, Rainbow, and Black Sabbath, and heavy metal supergroup Heaven & Hell. His other musical projects include collective fundraiser Hear ‘n Aid. He was widely hailed as the most powerful singer in heavy metal, renowned for his voice and for popularizing the “devil horns” hand gesture in metal culture. One of the last songs he recorded was titled “Metal Will Never Die.”
Ronnie was the son of Anna E. and Pasquale “Patrick”/”Pat”/Patsy Michael Padavona. His paternal grandparents, and maternal grandfather, were Italian. He was married to manager Wendy Gaxiola, until his death. He has a son, novelist Dan Padavona, with his former wife Loretta Berardi.
Ronnie’s paternal grandfather was Antonio Padavona (the son of Antonio Padavona and Mary De Rosi).
Ronnie’s paternal grandmother was Erminia/Ernine Tarquati (the daughter of Saverio Tarquati and Pasqualina Rasso).
Ronnie’s maternal grandfather was named Paul Mariano Gulini.
Ronnie’s maternal grandmother was Rena O. Burdick (the daughter of Nathaniel Clifton “Thannie”/Than Burdick and Pearl L. Champion). Rena was born in New York, and had English ancestry. Nathaniel was the son of Clark C./G. Burdick and Eliza Ann “Ella” Pierce. Ronnie’s great-grandmother Pearl was the daughter of Robert D. Champion and Hannah Floretta Eaton.
Sources: Genealogy of Ronnie James Dio – https://famouskin.com
Ronnie’s father on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Ronnie Jame Dio (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com
Ronnie’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Ronnie’s maternal grandmother, Rena O. (Burdick) Gulini (focusing on her father’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com