Audiences around the world will soon get to read Ronnie James Dio’s new autobiography.
According to information in a press release distributed Thursday, the book, Rainbow in the Dark, will start publishing in multiple languages starting Aug. 27 in Germany. Additionally, publications in Finnish, Bulgarian, Portugese (in Brazil), Japanese, Swedish, Italian, and Polish are coming, as well as in Hungarian in the first quarter of 2022, the document states.
Rainbow in the Dark originally published last month through Permuted Press in the United States and Canada, and through Constable in the United Kingdom. The autobiography collects Ronnie James Dio’s own notes that he wrote throughout his life for its story. The story starts in Dio’s childhood and runs up through his namesake band’s premiere at Madison Square Garden in 1987.
Co-written by music journalist Mick Wall and RJD’s wife Wendy, the book premiered at #12 on Publisher’s Weekly‘s Hard cover/Non-Fiction Best Sellers list last week.
More information on the book is available along with all of Dio’s latest news at:
Ronnie James Dio is one of the most prolific figures in the modern history of music. That goes without saying. Dio fronted not one, not two, but three of the most famous and respected acts in the history of rock in Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and his own band. While not a physically large figure on stage, his persona more than made up for that. As his forthcoming autobiography, Rainbow in the Dark shows, his time with those bands are only a thumbnail of what is a much bigger overall career and life. Set for release July 27 through Permuted Press, the 244-page autobiography is a rich look at the first part of Dio’s life. The story featured therein serves as the book’s foundation and will be discussed shortly. The story’s transitions add to the story’s appeal and will be addressed a little later. The pictures that are incorporated into the story add a nice aesthetic element to the whole and round out the book’s most important elements. Each item noted is important in its own right to the whole of the book. All things considered, they make this book a welcome personal recounting of Ronnie James Dio’s life. It will leave audiences hoping that his widow, who compiled Dio’s writings for the book, will eventually release a follow-up that completes his story.
Permuted Press’ forthcoming Ronnie James Dio biography, Rainbow in the Dark is a book that every rock and hard rock fan will enjoy. Given, it is hardly the only biography or even autobiography ever released from any rock act, but is still fully enjoyable in its own right. Its engagement and entertainment comes in large part through its story. The story is told through Dio’s own words and starts in his childhood living in upstate New York. Right from the outset, audiences learn that ultimately, Dio’s grandparents are really to thank for him becoming a musician and performer. As he reveals here early on, they made Dio’s father and his siblings learn to play an instrument. His own father did the same to him, too, repeating history. If not for that, it is possible that Dio might have otherwise pursued a career in baseball. It was this fateful event that would set Dio on a lifelong course that would eventually see him and his band mates in Elf record for Deep Purple’s own Purple Records. Those recordings and tours with Deep Purple would eventually lead to the biggest part of his career. The stories that Dio shares along the way are, at times laugh-inspiring in the best way possible, and at other times so dramatic. Case in point is Dio’s recollection of the fateful night in which a crash involving a drunk driver claimed the life of one of his then band mates in Ronnie Dio and the Prophets and put his own life and that of another in jeopardy. One of the funnier recollections shared along the way comes as Dio shares how he used his stage name (as it turns out, Dio is not his real name. This will be left for audiences to learn for themselves. He was in fact Italian by direct descent) at a gig during his formative years and almost got himself tied up in the mob. Even later in the story, Dio shares another funny and albeit short anecdote about how he and Wendy Dio got used to living out of their suitcases while Dio was a member of Rainbow. Again it is only a short statement, but still will leave plenty of people laughing. Speaking of Wendy, she points out in the books preface that the story presented here culminates in her late, great husband debuting with his own band at Madison Square Garden in 1987. It also opens at that point before going back to Ronnie’s childhood. The whole story is so easy to read from start to finish because at no point do Ronnie’s notes try to be flowery. He uses simple language that is accessible to everybody. The result is that the story, which again spans 244 pages, can be finished in a day or two at the most. That accessibility and the equally engaging and entertaining stories do a lot to make this (hopefully first) part of RJD’s life and career so enthralling. The transitions that are used in telling his story play their own part in the story’s appeal.
The transitions that are used to help tell Ronnie James Dio’s story are so important because they are so clear and solid throughout the book. That is thanks to the way that Ronnie started and ended each of his writings. Those points perfectly connect the chapters. Add in clear division points that involve blank pages and pictures, and the whole makes the story progress that much more smoothly. Those blank pages and pictures are important because they feel almost like virtual commercial breaks within the story. They, together with the solid wording connecting the stories, completely ensure readers’ maintained engagement and entertainment, showing completely, the importance of the story’s transitions. Keeping all of this in mind, there is a lot for readers to alike about this story of Ronnie James Dio’s life and career. It still is just a portion of what makes the story so appealing. The noted pictures used between the chapters round out the story’s most important elements.
The pictures that are presented throughout Rainbow in the Dark are important because they honestly help to tell the story in their own right. Case in point is an early picture of Ronnie as a boy with his parents. Readers will note that Ronnie’s father is in a military uniform. That might help to explain the sense that Ronnie explains he got of his father. That sense in question is a determination to make sure one is one’s best self possible. That is a value that the military does in fact instill in its personnel young and old alike. A later picture of Ronnie with his band mates in Elf during the 1970s made them comparable to the look of bands, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, and others. Ronnie explains in the story that follows the story, a laugh-inducing anecdote about not wanting to cut those long locks, but seemingly having to in order to help market the band. It is another way in which the pictures tie in to the story to help enrich the reading experience. On another note, there is also a picture of Ronnie with Ritchie Blackmore in the early days of Rainbow backstage before a show. It helps to bridge two other chapters in which Ronnie talks about that part of his career. It is such a casual picture, clearly not staged. Together with his own words, it showed how happy Ronnie was at that time. Between these pictures and so many others, the pictures prove to tell the story here just as much as the story itself. Keeping this in mind along with the impact of the smooth transitions, the whole of these noted items makes Rainbow in the Dark a fully immersive, engaging and entertaining story of one of rock’s greatest figures.
Permuted Press’ forthcoming presentation of Rainbow in the Dark is a wonderfully engaging and entertaining look into the life and career of Ronnie James Dio. The story itself is told through Ronnie’s own words on pages up on pages of collected notes. The stories are at times laugh-inspiring and at others heartbreaking. Through it all, the stories are told simply, making the story fully accessible for readers. This is in itself, reason enough for audiences to read this story. The transitions that are used between the story[s chapters build on the appeal established by the story. That is because of their fluidity. The manner in which Ronnie ends and begins each story is the biggest part of that fluidity. The blank pages and pictures used between the chapters also play into that fluidity. That is because they allow readers a moment to take in everything before moving on to each chapter. Speaking of the pictures, they do well as visual aids, helping to tell the story just as much as Ronnie’s own words. In some cases, they add even more to the story. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of this book. All things considered, they make Rainbow in the Dark a story that will appeal to a wide range of readers. The book is scheduled for release next Friday, July 27, through Permute Press. More information on the book is available along with all of Dio’s latest news at:
Tribute albums are a dime a dozen. So many tribute albums are released each year that one can’t help but feel that the labels that release them care more about their bottom line than about actually celebrating said artists being given tribute. That being the case, one can’t help but wonder why This Is Your Life, the new tribute album to iconic rock front man Ronnie James Dio, would be any different from those records. The answer to that is not a simple one. One reason that this tribute album stands out is the list of performers and bands that recorded songs for the compilation. It’s a who’s who of hard rock from the past, present, and even future of the genre. Another reason that this compilation stands out is its track listing. This record boasts some of the most beloved songs of RJD’s career. And last but definitely not least important to consider in this record is the fact that it isn’t just a means for the label distributing it to make money. It actually doubles as a fundraiser for RJD’s Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. So it’s actually a record crafted to essentially help give back. How many bands, artists, groups, etc. can say that they have crafted an entire album simply to raise funds for charity? That–along with the list of songs and performers, bands, etc. on this album–makes This Is Your Life an album that stands well above the rest of the otherwise throw-away albums claiming to be tribute albums.
Courtesy: Rhino Records
The primary aspect of This Is Your Life that makes it stand out against all of the other tribute albums out there is the list of performers drafted to record songs for the record. The list of performers drafted for this record is a who’s who of hard rock’s past, present, and even future. It wasn’t just a mish-mash of bands, artists and groups tossed together. Everybody tapped to record for this tribute record is either a counterpart to RJD or someone that grew up idolizing him and his talents. Veterans such as Anthrax, Motorhead, Scorpions, Biff Byford, and Rob Halford perform alongside younger acts such as Adrenaline Mob, Killswitch Engage, and Halestorm over the course of the record’s fourteen total tracks. That collection of bands and artists singing Dio’s hits is in itself a musical history lesson. It introduces younger audiences that might be more familiar with the latter grouping of bands and artists to the veterans and to the music of Dio. To that extent, This Is Your Life quickly earns major points. Even more points come from the sampling of Dio’s music in question chosen for this compilation.
The list of bands, artists, and groups tapped to record RJD’s music for This Is Your Life is in itself a major boon for the record. As noted, it isn’t just a mish-mash of bands, artists, and groups. It is a collection of bands, group, and artists that played alongside Dio during his career, and those that have come since, growing up with the music of Ronnie James Dio. In short, it’s a collection of individuals that have the utmost respect for Dio and his music. Speaking of that music, the songs chosen to be included on this record are another part of the whole that makes it so enjoyable for listeners. Every song on this record is a classic in its own way. From the more well-known pieces such as ‘The Mob Rules’, ‘Neon Knights’ and ‘Holy Diver’ to slightly lesser known songs such as ‘Straight Through The Heart’, Egypt (The Chains Are On’, and ‘Temple of the King’ This Is Your Life does quite the job of chronicling the career of a man that was and is still even in death, one of the greatest vocalists and performers in the history of hard rock.
The music and performers chosen for This Is Your Life are both key components of the success of the album. As important as they are to the success of the record, there is still one central aspect of the recording that makes it so worth picking up. That aspect is the fact that a certain portion of the sales of the album will go to benefit Dio’s Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, which was established by Dio’s wife Wendy Dio. Bands, groups and artists go out on tour every year or they take part in fundraising concerts. How many artists can say they were part of a recording project that was also meant as a way to pay tribute to one of their own, too? It’s just like bringing home a hard rock festival without having to pay the exorbitant prices for tickets, souvenirs, sodas and more. And at the same time, audiences that purchase the album will actually be helping to fund an organization that works to research and promote awareness of cancer, as well as educate people about early detection in hopes of one day stopping it.
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