The Man On The Silver Mountain

Ronnie James Dio

(July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010)

Dressing Room

Los Angeles, CA

April 1, 2005

Just like the millions of Rock Fans around the world, I was stunned this past Sunday morning to hear the news that Ronnie James Dio had passed away a few hours earlier.  Just a few weeks ago I was excited to see him on stage at the Golden God Awards, throwing his metal fingers in the air – as it should be.

Metal and Hard Rock has truly lost an icon, an innovator, and a gentlemen.  I had the pleasure to work with Ronnie a number of times over the years, and every experience was memorable.  He had the heart of a giant and the vocal pipes of an even larger man than that.  The music world will never be the same.

I shot this photo  of Ronnie in Motorhead’s dressing room in Los Angeles a few years ago.  As always, RJD was in a great mood and really played it up for my camera.  I am really going to miss the Holy Diver.

RJD Memorial Info:

Wendy Dio has asked that in lieu of sending flowers, please make a donation to the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.” You can send your check or money order to the Niji Entertainment Group, 12400 Ventura Blvd. #624, Studio City, CA, 91604. From all of us at the Niji Entertainment Group.

Lastly, there will be a Public Memorial Service for Ronnie James Dio on Sunday, May 30th at 2:00 PM at The Hall Of Liberty located at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068.

On Stage With…Motorhead

Motorhead – Wiltern Theatre : April 1, 2005

30th Anniversary Spectacular

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This is the first of a five-part series I’m doing this week, featuring shots that I took while being on the stage with bands. Each day I will add a new band and a new photo.

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This shot is from Motorhead’s 30th Anniversary Show. As it approached, I could feel the energy and enthusiasm building within the music community. Everybody and their mother had to be at this show. The whole hard-rock community wanted to pay respect to one of the most influential bands of all time. The celeb list included rockers like Motorhead alumni Phil “Philthy Animal: Taylor, FooFighter’s Dave Grohl, Ronnie James Dio, Slayer’s Kerry King, WWE wrestlers Tripple H and Chris Jericho, as well as comedian/actor Eugene Levy.

I was not only fired up to see such a big show, but the band had hired me to shoot the entire set and get as many backstage and dressing room shots as I could. My day was going great. During some down time at soundcheck, Lemmy really enjoyed looking through a book I’d brought along, The Encyclopedia Of Metal. We had some laughs, but I thought I for sure was going to have an asthma attack breathing in all of Lemmy’s second hand smoke.

With all of the people, personalities, egos and the pressure of a fast-approaching live gig, things rarely go smoothly from start to finish without at least one major problem. This time it was with the venue. The Wiltern Theatre has a ridiculous photo policy and won’t allow any photographers in their barricade/photo pit directly in front of the stage. We were told that there was no way I could shoot from the pit as I would be a fire hazzard. What a lame excuse.

Motorhead’s team blew their lid when they were told that I had to shoot 100 feet from the stage. They started screaming that I was with the band and they want me shooting the whole show – up front, up close – as that is why they hired me. The venue’s management then claimed that they would allow me to shoot in pit if Motorhead agreed to pay the venue a $1,200 gee. What a joke. Suddenly, for $1,200 I wasn’t a fire hazzard. At that moment I got a sick feeling in my stomach, it looked like I was not going to be shooting this legendary show at all.

Then Motorhead’s team told the club, “Fine, Kevin will not be in your fucking pit. He will be with us, all night.” And they left it at that. Before I knew it, I was pulled back into the dressing room with the band and told to stick with them and jump on the stage with them the moment they do. The house went dark and the audience roared as Triple H took the mic to introduce the band. A stage manager wielding a flashlight led us through a dark corridor and out onto the stage as the crowd went berserk. I can still feel that hit of adrenaline to this day.

Photographed on Lemmy’s corner of the stage with a Canon-1D and a Canon 24-70mm lens.