By Steve Newton I interviewed Ronnie James Dio back in December of 1985 while he was touring behind his Sacred Heart album, with Yngwie Malmsteen opening up. At one point in the interview I mentioned how Ronnie had started out as a trumpet player when he was five, which led to him confessing his deep love … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio told me that he loved classical music, and that Bach was a real rock ‘n’ roller
Tag: Sacred Heart Tour
That time Yngwie Malmsteen told me that he escaped the Swedish army by threatening to shoot himself
By Steve Newton The first time I interviewed Yngwie Malmsteen, back in December of 1985, he was touring with Ronnie James Dio as opening act on the Sacred Heart tour. He was only 22 at the time, and four years earlier had spent a very brief stint in the Swedish army. Like, two days. When … Continue reading That time Yngwie Malmsteen told me that he escaped the Swedish army by threatening to shoot himself
That time Yngwie Malmsteen slagged W.A.S.P. and told me that heavy metal is “all crap”
By Steve Newton The first time I interviewed Yngwie Malmsteen was back in December of 1985, when he was opening act on Dio's Sacred Heart tour. Malmsteen was only 22 at the time, full of piss and vinegar--kinda like he is now!--and ready to toss opinions around like they were notes flying off his fretboard. … Continue reading That time Yngwie Malmsteen slagged W.A.S.P. and told me that heavy metal is “all crap”
That time Ronnie James Dio told me what he really thought of Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen as guitarists
By Steve Newton Back in 1985 I did my only interview with Ronnie James Dio, who was headed to Vancouver on the Sacred Heart Tour, with Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force opening up. At one point in the conversation the legendary heavy-metal crooner compared the guitar-playing abilities of his former bandmate Ritchie Blackmore to those of … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio told me what he really thought of Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen as guitarists
That time Ronnie James Dio got ticked off when I asked him about stepping into Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath
By Steve Newton There's no denying that Ronnie James Dio did an incredible job replacing Ozzy Osbourne as the singer in Black Sabbath. The moment I heard "Neon Nights", the opening track on Dio's first Sabbath album, Heaven and Hell, I knew the heavy-metal stars had aligned. The music had way more power and feel … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio got ticked off when I asked him about stepping into Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath
That time Ronnie James Dio got me and my nephew Jeff backstage on the Sacred Heart Tour
By Steve Newton I did my one and only interview with Ronnie James Dio back in December of 1985. The metal legend, 43 at the time, was headed to Vancouver for a show on his Sacred Heart tour, with opening act Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. I'd been a fan of his since I first heard Elf … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio got me and my nephew Jeff backstage on the Sacred Heart Tour