Craig Goldy says that “certain members” of the original DIO band became motivated by “money” because they “didn’t have the same heart for the fans” as Ronnie James Dio did.
Goldy joined DIO during the “Sacred Heart” tour in 1986 after original guitarist Vivian Campbell was fired from the band following a contentious business disagreement with the legendary heavy metal singer and Ronnie‘s management.
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For the past several years, Goldy has played sporadic shows with DIO DISCIPLES, which is made up of former members of DIO, along with a rotating lineup of singers, including former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens.
Billed as a “celebration of the music and legacy of the greatest singer in the world, Ronnie James Dio,” DIO DISCIPLES is about to embark on a world tour during which it will be fronted by Ronnie‘s hologram for select songs.
In a lengthy post on the DIO DISCIPLES Facebook page, Goldy defended DIO DISCIPLES‘ decision to tour with Ronnie‘s hologram, saying that “the band DIO was run like a family, because it was a family. And when an important family member dies, those left behind often do things to keep their lost loved one’s memory alive.
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“Whenever we do a DIO DISCIPLES concert, in my heart it is not a concert at all but a memorial service in the form of a concert,” he continued. “His music played such an important role in so many people’s lives from all over the globe, including myself. In times of trouble, he was the voice that I turned to. It was like we were friends before we ever met. That is what a fan was to Ronnie — a friend that he just hasn’t met yet. But then because his music was so amazing, it got released around the world, and he did get to meet almost all of his fans.
“When the ‘Sacred Heart’ tour came out, Ronnie practically cut his profit margin in half, bringing the fans an 18-foot fire-breathing dragon. It really did have fire coming out of its mouth — lasers shot out of the dragon’s eyes and wherever that laser would land, an explosion would take place, both visual and audio. [Ronnie] didn’t hike up ticket prices for all that — it was his way of giving back to the fans. So even though a lot of money was made, a lot of money was being spent. And I think that is when all the problems started with certain bandmembers, ’cause they didn’t have the same heart for the fans as Ronnie and Wendy [Dio, Ronnie‘s wife and manager] did. It started to become about money.”
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Goldy, who played with GIUFFRIA and ROUGH CUTT prior to joining DIO, went on to call the Ronnie James Dio hologram “a gift to the fans” which will be “given in the same spirit in which Ronnie gave.”
He explained: “People don’t remember, but Wendy was a big part of how that whole ‘Sacred Heart’ stage set was built, put together and without hiking up the ticket prices too. Same thing for the ‘Dream Evil’ tour, with a giant metal spider that came down out of the rafters and I shot it with lasers out of my guitar and then wherever I pointed my guitar, an explosion would occur. It was magical days with magical people behind that magic. This hologram is just that.”
Via Blabbermouth.com