What if Ronnie James Dio and Ozzy Osbourne played live together
They didn’t, but man, what a show that would have been!
The rivalry between the two since Ronnie took over from Ozzy in Black Sabbath is probably one of the most written about and discussed pseudo/neo/never actually really happened spats in heavy metal history.
Sure, Ozzy was pissed that Sabbath kicked him out, especially for being drunk and out of control, when to quite a large degree, they were all drunk and out of control. And yes, Ozzy was not, and is not some kind of singer by numbers. He is Ozzy, and more so than the Highlander, there really can be only one. Nobody can do it quite like he does.
But then again…
Ronnie was also utterly unique, as different to Ozzy as coal is to diamonds. And yes, Sabbath were in a tight spot in ‘79, and if it hadn’t worked with Ronnie, would Black Sabbath have folded there and then? Quite possibly. Whatever the what-ifs on that one, though, Ronnie took Black Sabbath into new territory, and to new heights.
And yes, they both said things, did things. Ozzy did his infamous ‘no dwarfs’ stuff on an early post-Sabbath solo tour, and Ronnie said some less than complimentary things about Ozzy. But, in Ozzy’s autobiography, he said that Ronnie was a great singer, and Ronnie absolutely respected Ozzy’s Black Sabbath history. In fact he was terrified that he wouldn’t be up to the challenge.
As we all know, their respective wives were also their respective managers.
I was lucky enough to interview Wendy Dio last year for MetalTalk, and she was very candid, saying that Ozzy and Ronnie were never adversaries, and if they ever met up, they’d be friendly. They weren’t best mates, but that was simply because they moved in different circles.
So, how would it have happened live? Well, sadly it’ll never happen now, but just imagine this:
Ronnie and Ozzy both come onstage at the same time from different sides.
Also onstage are:
Tony Iommi, Vivian Campbell, Zakk Wylde, Geezer Butler, Jimmy Bain, Bill Ward and Vinnie Appice.
The setlist includes all-eras Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Dio and Ozzy.
And for the encore, Ian Gillan comes on, with a moody looking Ritchie Blackmore, and they all jam through Smoke on the Water.
How cool would that be?
And of course, Cold Steel would play the support slot.
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