BraveWords caught up with Wendy Dio recently about the new documentary on her husband and hard rock icon Ronnie James Dio, called Dreamers Never Die. The interview will air this Saturday (September 30th) at 3:33 PM EST on BraveWords' Streaming For Vengeance which airs on the BraveWords Facebook page and BraveWords Radio. In an excerpt she talks about meeting him for the first time:
"When I first met him, he was following me around and I was like 'No, he's too short for me," she recalls. "Then we talked and talked and talked. We were up at a party at Ritchie Blackmore's house. When I met Ronnie, they had just finished Blackmore's Rainbow. Recording it, they hadn't toured yet. So there was a party up in the Hollywood Hills, and they invited me. So I went up there and Ronnie was following me around and I was still like 'No, too short for me.' Then we talked and talked then everyone went down to Dennys for breakfast and sunrise was coming up. So I said 'Do you want to go for a ride,' so we went up to Malibu and we kept talking. But I fell in love with his brain. We didn't think it was going to last, we just figured we'll have fun for a couple of weeks, which we did, and then he went on tour. And I thought that was the end of that. Then he called me and said 'Why don't you quit your job and join me,' and I said 'I can't quit my job, I'll come for a couple of weeks,' and it ended being for the rest of my life."
Dio: Dreamers Never Die the first-ever, career-spanning documentary on the life and times of the late legendary metal icon Ronnie James Dio, will be released worldwide by Mercury Studios on DVD and Blu-Ray+4K and as a special Deluxe Edition featuring the DVD and Blu-Ray packaged with exclusive merchandise on September 29. All of these configurations of the film will include a 20-minute selection of deleted and extended scenes restored from the cutting room floor to create a special fan experience.
The limited Deluxe Edition will be packaged in a two-piece lift-off lid box containing both the DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the film plus branded Dio merchandise that will include logoed trading cards, guitar picks, lapel pin, coasters and a fold out poster from the film.
The DVD, Blu-Ray+4K and the Deluxe Edition are now available for pre-order here ahead of the September 29 release date. Watch the trailer below.
Additionally, fans will be able to purchase the film along with bundles of exclusive Dreamers Never Die merchandise, including a Limited Edition Screen Print Movie Poster, Dreamers Never Die T-Shirts, Hoodies, Trucker Hats and Beanies, Etched Beer Stein, Mousepad, Tote Bag, Replica of “Dio Way” Street Sign, and Word Magnet set as well as a Raglan Shirt and Dome Pin celebrating Dio’s first band, Elf.
Dio: Dreamers Never Die which world premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, enjoyed a special event theatrical release in more than 600 cinemas worldwide last fall and is available on Showtime.
Of the film, Reel News Daily wrote: “This film stunned me from the first frames. I expected to like it, but I never expected to fall madly in love with the film and the man. This is truly one of the best music docs I’ve seen. I can’t recommend this film enough.”
Dio: Dreamers Never Die delves deep into the singer’s incredible rise from a ‘50s doo-wop crooner to his early rock days in Elf and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, to replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, and finally cementing his rock star status with his own band, DIO. The film incorporates never-before-seen footage and personal photos, as well as offering intimate scenes with his closest peers, family, and friends, among them Wendy Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk, and Jack Black, as they bring viewers inside the life of one of rock and roll’s true heroes and most beloved figures.
Dio’s widow and longtime manager, Wendy Dio, who executive produced the film, commented: “I wanted this documentary to be authentic, for the fans to see the roller coaster ride that was Ronnie's life—the good times, the bad times and everything in between, especially including events that even the most diehard fans would not have known about. It’s all in there, right up to the very end.”
In addition to SXSW, the film was showcased at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto, IFF Boston, DocsLisboa International Film Festival, the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival in Korea, the Athens International Film & Video Festival and Gimme Shelter Film Festival in Athens, Greece. Last October, it won the Audience Award at the In-Edit International Music Documentary Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain.
Fully authorized by the artist’s estate, “Dio: Dreamers Never Die” was directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (Framing John DeLorean, Believer, Last Days Here), produced by Don Argott and Sheena Joyce for 9.14 Pictures, and executive produced by Wendy Dio for Niji Productions and Kathy Rivkin Daum for BMG.
Ronnie James Dio, who died of gastric cancer in 2010, reigns as one of the most influential rock artists of all time and one of the greatest vocalists ever. With an illustrious recording career spanning from the 1950’s through to the 2000’s, the documentary follows his trajectory from sideman into singer, songwriter and frontman of not one, but three, of rock’s internationally-renowned, multi-Platinum-selling arena attractions: Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio. Famous for popularizing the ‘devil horns’ hand gesture that is now synonymous with hard rock and heavy metal music, Dio was known for not wavering in his pursuit of his rock and roll dreams and continues to influence a new generation of music artists. His fans the world over remember him not only for his massive talent, but for his kindness, resulting in millions of dollars raised for cancer research in his memory via the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.
Argott and Fenton said, "People who have conviction, talent and heart like Ronnie James Dio are in short supply these days. It is refreshing to share his inspiring story of believing in yourself and chasing your dreams. As life-long Dio fans, it is incredibly humbling to bring Ronnie’s journey to the screen, and we can’t wait to share it with audiences."
