Static Live Magazine June 2020

Behind the Mic: Riggs
95.7 the Hog, Daytona Beach
Hello, friends!
This issue of STATIC LIVE is my favorite because I love
metal and hard rock. I live it. In fact, I believe that I
may have a “Benjamin Button” deal going as it seems that
my thirst for loud rock grows as I get older. In fairness
to my musical roots, I started out with names like
John Denver, Barry Manilow, Bee Gees, Kenny Rogers
and Babs Streisand. Then came KISS and game on. So
when I pondered a subject for this themed issue, it was a
no-brainer. The nicest rock star I ever met, the King of
Rock & Roll… The late, great Ronnie James Dio. I first
met Ronnie James Dio on the winter leg of the Holy Diver
tour in Atlanta. It was an after show meet & greet and
he was very affable and chatty. My fear was that his aura
of evil and darkness would ruin the excitement I had to
meet one of the best voices in the game. But he couldn’t
have been any different. More than just a “nice to meet
you, where you from?” or an autograph signing, Ronnie
was like a host at his own house party. He gave me
a brief tour of the backstage rooms, highlighted where
the refreshments were and led me to the guitar room.
Vivian Campbell (guitar prodigy who would later gig
with Whitesnake and still resides with Def Leppard) was
the band’s guitarist and sat on a couch practicing AFTER
the show. Ronnie introduced me and said “Do you play,
Riggs?”. I nervously said no but accepted their offer to
sit and catch a quick lesson. An amazing night for a kid
who loved his unique brand of rock and roll.
We met before the show and sat down for what was one
of the more eye opening hours of my career.
I was obviously a huge fan but I had to curb that and
direct the conversation to what would hopefully be an
interesting and entertaining piece of television. We talked
about the tour, making the new album and more, but fell
into a discussion of the hard rock/metal charity project
that he helped create called Hear ‘n Aid. The effort was
considered the rock genre’s answer to USA for Africa’s
“We Are The World” fundraising single. As Ronnie
described the frustration with the song being held up for
almost a year in legal issues and the plight of the starving
people of Africa and similar issues in the United States,
I was struck by his passion. The politics of the music
business I started producing a music video program in the
late ‘80s and secured a one-on-one interview with Ronnie
at another Atlanta show. and the hypocrisy of the charity
organizers had clearly impacted him. It was a moment
that I went from viewing him as the imposing dark character
he was labeled with from his singing career to seeing
him as a compassionate, ethereal soul. His intensity and
desire to use his music to help less fortunate people was
something I had never encountered. It struck me that I
was speaking with a kind man, not the mystique of the
larger-than-life rock god. It changed forever the way that
I ingested his lyrics and music.
His singing voice was like a giant dragon stomping its way
through a paper city. And it emerged from a 5’ 4” shell
which made Ronnie Dio’s persona even more unique.
Think about the impact of his songwriting… he co-penned
“Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll”, “Man On The Silver Mountain”,
“The Mob Rules”, “Heaven And Hell” and so many more
staples of the ‘70s and ‘80s rock landscape. And his was
the voice that took the iconic band Rainbow to the next
level. Then he steps into an arguably impossible gig replacing
Ozzy in Black Sabbath and in 2 short years, cranks out
classics like “Neon Knights” and “Children of the Sea”. He
kept that heavy metal original relevant after they lost what
may be the most recognizable frontman in rock history.
An impressive result indeed. And then as he embarks on
a solo career and launches DIO, he crushes with one of the
best debut records of all time. “Holy Diver”, “Rainbow In
The Dark” and more… and the bar had been raised. There
was simply no other rock singer that took bands he fronted
to a higher profile more than Ronnie James Dio.
I caught up with him on the Lock Up The Wolves tour stop
in 1990. And though record sales had diminished, he was
as vibrant as ever. He introduced me and my friends to the
crew, gave us a tour of the theatrical staging for the show,
then insisted that I try my first Guinness beer. The dude I
idolized and somewhat feared when meeting him a decade
earlier was now bartending for me at one of his shows.
It was a surreal, awesome moment. And he remembered
my name… I still am sure that his wife or manager
whispered it to him before I walked onto the tour bus, but
whatever… I felt like a friend. I interviewed him a few
times after, at much smaller venues with the DIO band in
a different configuration, and later with the reunited Black
Sabbath. That was another career highlight as I sat with
all four members of the centerpiece of heavy metal. And
Ronnie was as humble and kind as ever, saying that it was
simply for the fans that they regrouped and toured. For
the love of the game.
And don’t forget, Dio was the man that, if not invented,
popularized the Rock Horns or “Devil Horns” hand
gesture. He used it in every show, even on the DIO album
covers. You see it today at every rock show. And ironic
that the guy that was often labeled as evil and accused of
dropping satanic subtleties in his music and album art actually
took that hand gesture from his old Italian heritage
as a symbol to ward off evil. He was about positive
energy. He was about light beyond the darkness.
He battled brutal stomach cancer that led to his death yet
continued to record and tour til the very end. The heart
and soul of the man was out of this world. He defined a
generation of rock music. And with the combination of
growl and passionate melody, his voice was unmatched. If
you haven’t indulged before, go chase some of Dio’s music
and drop on your headphones… and know you are hearing
a master at his craft.
I wish he was around today not as much for the music but
for his spirit. I wish I could interview him not as a nervous,
idolizing fan but as a professional who is intrigued
by his lyrics and visions. And I was told later that he
wrote “MAGIC” on autographs for people he felt a connection
with, and I’ve always cherished that notion. To the
legacy of words, music and memories, I raise a Guinness
to Ronnie James Dio.
Cheers!
Catch RIGGS, GUY, & INTERN STEVE
The Morning HOG / 95.7 The HOG Weekdays 5-10am
& SATURDAY NIGHT LOUD 9-midnight
@saturdayloud on Twitter The Morning Hog on fb
riggs@957thehog.com
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