Dave Williams was the original lead singer of Texas metal band, Drowning Pool. Formed in 1996, the band built a sizable following thanks to well-received performances at Ozzy Osbourne’s early Ozzfests. In 2001, the band released their first album, Sinner, which included the hit single and MTV staple, “Bodies.” That exposure helped the album sell more than one million copies within the first year. While on tour on August 14, 2002, Dave Williams collapsed and died on the band’s tour bus in Virginia. Official reports concluded that he died of a heart muscle disease. He was 30 years old.
Ronnie James Dio (Born Ronald Padavona)
July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010
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Ronnie James Dio was one of the greatest heavy metal vocalists of all time. While the rest of us can only wish to front just one great legendary rock band, Dio could claim Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Elf, Heaven & Hell, and of course, Dio. And unlike most, if not all metal singers, during Dio’s early years, he fronted a rockabilly band, Ronnie & the Red Caps. By the early ’70s, Dio was moving into the blues rock world with his next band, Elf who would find its audience by touring with the likes of Deep Purple. A few years later, guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple and formed Rainbow, inviting Dio to sing lead in the group. His albums with Rainbow include Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Rainbow Rising, and Long Live Rock and Roll. In 1979, Dio was hired to replace Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, with whom he recorded the classic Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules albums, among others. Dio finally began recording under his own name in 1980, and as Dio, released such landmark metal albums as Holy Diver, The Last In Line, and Sacred Heart. It is no doubt that Dio was one of the driving forces of heavy metal, but his contributions to the genre went beyond his instantly recognizable voice. During his tenure with Black Sabbath, Dio began flashing what would become known as the “devil horns” hand gesture from the stage, perhaps not inventing the symbol, but definitely making it heavy metal’s own. In November of 2009, it was announced that Ronnie James Dio was suffering from stomach cancer. On May 16, 2010, the cancer took his life at the age of 67.
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Drummer Randy Castillo became famous throughout the rock world as the drummer for Ozzy Osbourne for ten years (and on his biggest albums) and then briefly replacing Tommy Lee in Motley Crue. He was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma in 2000 and lost his life to it just two years later. Besides his stints with Ozzy and the Crue, Castillo also played behind the Motels and Lita Ford.
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Perhaps not the most influential rock guitarist of the ’80s, Randy Rhoads was no doubt one of the most original. Instead of trying to be the “next Eddie Van Halen,” Rhoads was the first metal guitarist to incorporate classical styles into his playing. Learning to play as a young child, Rhoads kicked around in a few high-school bands before helping to form Quiet Riot with Kevin Dubrow. That led to an audition to play in Ozzy Osbourne‘s post-Black Sabbath solo band. Rhoads easily landed the gig and with his incendiary shredding, Ozzy’s first solo album Blizzard of Oz, became one of the greatest rock albums of the era. Within just a couple of years, Rhoads’ career was kicking into high gear. But then on March 19, 1982 while the band was en route to a festival in Orlando, they decided to stop and visit Jerry Calhoun, the owner of their bus company. It was while at the house, the band’s driver, Andrew Aycock persuaded Rhoads and a hairdresser to take a spin in Calhoun’s small plane. While in the air, it was reported that Aycock tried to “buzz” the band’s tour bus in order to startle them awake. On the third attempt, they clipped the side of plane which caused it to crash into Calhoun’s mansion, killing all three, including Rhoads at just 25 years of age.
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Ray Gillen was a hard rock singer who, although he spent a minute as lead singer of Black Sabbath, is perhaps best remembered as the lead singer of Badlands. Gillen had been singing for a series of New Jersey area bands when, in 1986, he was summoned to substitute for then-Black Sabbath vocalist, Glenn Hughes, who was suffering from vocal problems. Following the tour, Gillen began working with Black Sabbath on their The Eternal Idol album, but never finished the sessions due to various factors. In 1988, Gillen formed Badlands with Jake E. Lee, best known as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist, Craig Chaisson, and Eric Singer. Gillen fronted Badlands for three albums, Badlands, Voodoo Highway, and Dusk. The band’s self-titled debut sold respectably due to video play on MTV, but the follow-ups barely registered a blip, so Gillen broke up the band in 1989. Over the next couple of years, he worked on a handful of other projects. On December 1, 1993, Ray Gillen, age 32, died of AIDS-related complications.
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Dave Williams was the original lead singer of Texas metal band, Drowning Pool. Formed in 1996, the band built a sizable following thanks to well-received performances at Ozzy Osbourne’s early Ozzfests. In 2001, the band released their first album, Sinner, which included the hit single and MTV staple, “Bodies.” That exposure helped the album sell more than one million copies within the first year. While on tour on August 14, 2002, Dave Williams collapsed and died on the band’s tour bus in Virginia. Official reports concluded that he died of a heart muscle disease. He was 30 years old.
