Black Sabbath’s Former Manager Admits He Originally Wanted Both Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio

Billy Corgan, frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins, recently hosted an in-depth and moving conversation with Wendy Dio, wife and longtime manager of heavy metal icon Ronnie James Dio, on his podcast The Magnificent Others. The episode explores Wendy’s journey from working as a waitress at the legendary LA venue The Rainbow Bar & Grill to managing Dio’s career, including his landmark 1983 solo debut Holy Diver.

Ronnie James Dio and Black Sabbath

Wendy shares insights into Dio’s initial hesitation about joining Black Sabbath in 1979 to replace Ozzy Osbourne. At the time, Dio had just left Rainbow—“Ritchie says Ronnie left, Ronnie says he was fired,” Wendy recalls—and had returned to California with Wendy to form a new band.

“Tony [Iommi] and Ronnie got together at The Rainbow, and I guess [Sabbath] had decided Ozzy wasn’t able to perform anymore. It was the tenth anniversary [of the band], I remember that. Ronnie came back and said, ‘I’m gonna get a band together with Tony.’ Sounds good, you know? All of a sudden, it was, Geezer [Butler] is in and Bill [Ward] is in. He said, ‘Black Sabbath… I don’t know if I like their music.’ I said, ‘We have $800 in the bank, you love their music.’”

Dio went on to front Black Sabbath from 1979 to 1982, recording two albums, and later returned for Dehumanizer (1992) and The Devil You Know as Heaven & Hell in 2009. His debut with Sabbath, 1980s Heaven And Hell, revitalized the band, breaking the UK Top 10 and US Top 50 for the first time since 1975’s Sabotage. Wendy notes, however, that the transition wasn’t always easy:

“It was hard for him, first of all. Kids were giving him the finger [because he wasn’t Ozzy].”

She also recalls the role of Sabbath’s then-manager, Don Arden, who suggested Ronnie record while Ozzy toured—a plan Dio refused. “Don was managing the band at the time and he was not happy about it at all,” Wendy says.

Dio’s Early Career

Born Ronald James Padavona, Dio began his musical journey in the late 1950s with bands like Ronnie & The Red Caps, Ronnie Dio & The Prophets, and Elf. He rose to prominence in the mid-70s as Rainbow’s frontman before joining Black Sabbath in 1979 and launching his solo career in 1983. Dio passed away on May 16, 2010, from stomach cancer.

Battling Cancer

Wendy details the challenges of Dio’s illness, noting that his symptoms were initially mistaken for indigestion. “About five years before he passed away, he was complaining of indigestion,” she says. “He would eat Tums all the time… But with things like stomach cancer, gastric cancers and pancreatic cancer, there’s not really any signs until it’s too late.”

Dio had planned to record another album with Heaven & Hell after their 2010 tour. However, health issues interrupted their plans. Wendy recounts discovering his stage-four cancer and navigating the search for the best care. Eventually, Dio was treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where Wendy recalls his compassion even during his illness:

“There was a kid there, 19 years old, and Ronnie spent more time caring about him than caring about himself.”

Legacy and Charity

Following Dio’s death, Wendy founded the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, dedicated to cancer education, research, and prevention. The organization has raised nearly $3 million to date, continuing Dio’s legacy both musically and philanthropically.

The full interview between Billy Corgan and Wendy Dio is available to watch online.