From Mad Anthony Cafe:
R.I.P. RONNIE JAMES DIO
POSTED: 5.17.2010
“I was saddened to hear yesterday about the passing of one of rock’s most powerful vocalists, Ronnie James Dio. He was an influence to me, growing up playing music. I remember in Van Halen we used to do “Man on The Silver Mountain” in the club days, and during one of our early tours we played a festival in Europe with his band. My condolences go out to his family, he will be missed.” – Michael
From Billboard.com:
Chickenfoot’s Michael Anthony told Billboard.com that he used to cover “Man on the Silver Mountain with Van Halen and sharing the stage with Dio at some European festivals. “He was a great guy,” Anthony said. “I remember when we opened for them, all of us were back at the hotel having some drinks; it was his birthday, and I remember us all just hanging out, and he was just a great guy, definitely a driving force in hard rock music.”
From RoadrunnerRecords.com:
Former VAN HALEN Bassist: DIO Was ‘Definitely A Driving Force In Hard Rock Music’
May 18, 2010
Ex-VAN HALEN and current CHICKENFOOT bassist Michael Anthony spoke to The Pulse of Radio and Billboard.com about the influence and legacy of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, who passed away this past Sunday, May 16 after a six-month battle with stomach cancer.
[Courtesy of The Pulse of Radio] “I don’t know anybody that didn’t grow up listening to his stuff. You know, VAN HALEN, we used to do from the first RAINBOW album, we did ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’. I remember one time, the second VAN HALEN tour we were doing some festivals in Europe, and we actually played on the same show as Ronnie’s band. Real powerful voice, you know, and definitely a driving force in hard rock music, that guy was.”