Ronnie James Dio, heavy metal singer, Black Sabbath, 'lost' interview, 1986

Heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio spoke to the future Mr. Media in this “lost” interview, May 22, 1986

When word reached us last night that singer Ronnie James Dio lost his battle against cancer yesterday at the age of 67, my wife said, “Didn’t you interview him?”

Yes, yes, I did.

It was May 22, 1986, one of my first interviews at my new job as pop music critic for the Tampa Tribune. It was a telephone interview, as so many were in those days.

Sadly, the audio quality has been greatly diminished by the years. In fact, it may not have been very good to begin with, but I’m a pack rat, so I kept it. I can’t even prove that a story based on the interview ever ran.

I’m going to play my interview with Dio in just a moment, but I must warn you: the sound is really muffled. To increase his voice, I had no choice but to raise mine.

This interview has never been heard before. If you’re a fan of Ronnie James Dio, you’ll probably be entertained; if not… I understand.

If you’re new to Mr. Media Radio, I hope you’ll drop by our web site @ MrMedia.com. That’s where you can find my other lost interviews, including Gene Simmons of KISS and the late John Denver, as well as more than 500 more recent conversations with your favorite TV and film stars, as well as authors, politicians other media newsmakers.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the late, great Ronnie James Dio, recorded on May 22, 1986—almost 24 years ago this week.HDNet.

For more original interviews with your favorite musicians and athletes, please visit Mr. Media Radio.