Remember When Ronnie James Dio Was in a Doo Wop Band?

When one thinks of the late great Ronnie James Dio, one often thinks of the golden age of heavy metal and the laundry list of bands he was a part of, from Black Sabbath to Dio to Heaven & Hell. One wouldn’t necessarily think of classic doo wop or early rock and roll music. 

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However, it kind of makes sense. Dio got his start in the late 1950s as a teenager, and heavy metal was simply a distant dream at that time. So, naturally, he had to start with classic rock and roll.

Ronnie James Dio Started Out in a Very Different Genre From Heavy Metal

As a child, Ronnie James Dio was already a formally trained musician. He was taught to play the trumpet, starting at age five. With that musical background, he formed his very first rock and roll group called The Vegas Kings. That very band would later go through a few name changes, one of them being Ronnie And The Red Caps. 

Dio’s start in rock and roll music began with the trumpet, but he also sang in that early group and provided his bass guitar talents. The group only produced two singles, “An Angel Is Missing” and “Blue Days Blue Nights”. Dio’s voice is almost totally unrecognizable.

Dio graduated from high school in 1960. Apparently, he was offered a scholarship to Juilliard, which he turned down to further explore rock music. He played the trumpet in the University of Buffalo’s concert band, though he would drop out after a little more than a year.

So, how did we get from Point A to Point B? Dio started out in his classic rock and roll band in high school, but after graduating, he reformed the band into Ronnie Dio And The Prophets. That new lineup lasted for a few years and toured in New York, and often played college parties. The band then became The Electric Elves, then The Elves, and then Elf. The outfit would later open for Deep Purple and then disband in 1975. From there, Dio would join Rainbow, then Black Sabbath, and then form his eponymous band in 1982.

It’s interesting that today, Dio is well known for having a particularly strong vocal prowess, considering he never really had any vocal training. Though, I suppose it does make sense. Dio himself said that the breathing techniques he learned from playing the trumpet contributed to his singing ability. And it all started with a little rock and roll doo wop band called Ronnie And The Red Caps. What a legend!

Photo by PG Brunelli/BMG