Megadeth Reacts to Death of Ronnie James Dio

News of the passing of metal music maestro Ronnie James Dio has left his rock star peers reeling. Megadeth’s drummer, Shawn Drover, shared his dismay, and some cherished memories, in a statement online:

“I am at an absolute loss right now upon hearing that Ronnie has passed away. I had the pleasure of touring both Canada and America in 2007 when Megadeth toured with Heaven & Hell (Black Sabbath in my eyes) and I swear to you he is one of the nicest human beings I have ever met, period. Many a night on that tour, Glen and myself would have amazing conversation’s with Ronnie about his career, etc. fully knowing he had probably told these stories 10,000 times to people and yet he answered every question I had with a big smile. I can recall so many times making eye contact with Glen (Drover - brother/former Megadeth/KING DIAMOND guitarist) sharing the exact same thought - ‘Dude, I can’t believe we are hanging with RONNIE JAMES DIO!!!!!’ If you are lucky enough in your lifetime to actually meet one of your idols (let alone tour with them) and they turn out to be even nicer than you could have envisioned, that is something you would truly treasure. Lucky for me, I will cherish those memories forever.”

Dio announced last summer that he was battling stomach cancer, and had undergone a serious treatment regimen the past several months. The news of his death on Sunday, May 16th was posted on Dio’s official website by his wife, Wendy.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 9:02 am by michelle

Tags: dio's death, megadeth, ronnie james dio, shawn drover