Glenn Hughes Talks Dio Tribute
Glenn talks about next week\'s show
Glenn Hughes has spoken about next week’s Heaven & Hell tribute to Ronnie James Dio, which he will front along with Jorn Lande.
"Whe he died we lost the greatest of all metal singers,” he revealed exclusively to Classic Rock Magazine. "But he was so much more than that. He could walk into a room with 30 people he didn’t know and make every one of them feel comfortable. He’d also remember their names the next time they met. And he did so much for charity. His Children Of The Night Foundation helped kids on the street, he raised $4.5 million through Hear ‘N Aid (to aid famine victims in Africa). He was a saint.
"So, when Wendy Dio, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler asked me if I’d do this special set at High Voltage in his memory, it was such an honour.”
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW
Glenn’s tribute comes after Tony Iommi spoke at length about Ronnie in the Sunday Mercury.
In the emotional interview Tony talks about how he met Ronnie, about Ronnie’s illness and about the Heaven & Hell tribute show.
Here’s an excerpt in which Tony talks about losing Ronnie.
"I was talking with Ronnie right up to the week before he passed away, and he was optimistic. He told me that the chemotherapy seemed to be working.
"The tumour had been shrinking and they gave him the go-ahead to come back out on the road. Our summer tour got the green light and we were constantly on the phone talking about what songs we’d do.
"Ronnie was really excited. We were going to try out some new songs; the band was really tight; we were on fire. He was so looking forward to the European tour. It was going to be a new lease of life.
"But early in May they found that the cancer had spread to Ronnie’s liver, and things went downhill pretty quickly. We cancelled all the tour dates, still hoping against hope that he’d pull through. He was a fighter, after all.
"But it wasn’t to be. Geezer Butler (bass player with Heaven & Hell and Black Sabbath) spent a lot of time in hospital, just sitting by Ronnie’s bedside. He went through it all with him, and he was there right to the end.
"I’d had to come back to Britain and I kept in touch by phone and by e-mail. Then I got the call I’d been dreading. Geezer told me that he didn’t think Ronnie had long left to live. I tried to get the first flight out there but I was too late.
"I wasn’t quick enough to say farewell. He died on May 16. In the end, I flew out for the funeral on May 30. We were all devastated by his passing. He was one of a kind, and can never be replaced."
You can read the Sunday Mercury interview HERE
There are still a few tickets remaining to the Saturday of the High Voltage festival in London when Heaven & Hell will take to the stage for the very last time.