Black Sabbath
Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne's drinking led to his firing from the band, he is replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Ronnie James Dio Biography and Timeline
Follow Ronnie James Dio through 7 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Ronnie James Dio, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
7Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1978–2006Years on this page
1978
1979
Black Sabbath
Joins Black Sabbath after Ozzy Osbourne is dismissed, beginning the Dio-fronted era.
Role range: 1979-1982
1980
Heaven and Hell
Sings on Heaven and Hell, restoring Black Sabbath's commercial and critical momentum.
Role range: 1979-1982
1981
Mob Rules
Sings on Mob Rules, the second studio album of the Dio-fronted Black Sabbath line-up.
Role range: 1979-1982
1992
Dehumanizer
Returns to Black Sabbath for Dehumanizer, reuniting with Iommi, Butler and Vinny Appice.
Role range: 1991-1992
Black Sabbath
Iommi and Butler rejoin Dio and drummer Vinny Appice to record Dehumanizer
2006
Black Sabbath
The early/mid 1980s line-up featuring Iommi, Butler, Dio, and Appice reform under the title, Heaven & Hell
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.