RIDE FOR RONNIE Raises $50,000 For Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund
RIDE FOR RONNIE Raises $50,000 For Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund
Wendy Dio with Sean McNabb
Wendy Dio Arrives at Los Encinos Park
The 2nd Annual RIDE FOR RONNIE Motorcycle Ride and Concert, held on Sunday, May 22, 2016 at Los Encinos State Historic Park and raised $50,000 for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.
The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org) began in 2010 as a tribute to the memory of Ronnie James Dio, the late voice behind Black Sabbath, Rainbow and his own band Dio after Ronnie lost his hard-fought battle with gastric cancer. Since that time, the Dio Cancer Fund has raised more than $1 million for cancer research and education.
With the perfect weather of a Southern California day, Motorcycle Riders from all over gathered to pay tribute to the great Ronnie James Dio at the RIDE FOR RONNIE Motorcycle Ride and give their support to The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund to help raise awareness in the fight against cancer. The Riders made their way from Harley Davidson in Glendale to Los Encinos State Historic Park in Encino, where the benefit concert and rally would take place.
The huge procession of motorcycles left Glendale Harley Davidson on route for Los Encinos State Historic Park, while a large number of supporters were already arriving at this amazing event. As the Riders began to arrive at the park the concert was already in full force with a scorching set from the Doctors of the Earth.
As the massive line of riders appeared at the front of the park, people were lining up to take photos and videos to commemorate this amazing day.
Bikes Arriving at Los Encinos Park
Wendy Dio
From left to Right; Wendy Dio, Dr. Wong and Director Dr. Sandy Kapoor
Doctors Of The Earth Open The Show!
Doctors of the Earth
The show opened with Doctors Of The Earth, a hard rock/metal band from East Los Angeles who are all about respecting mother earth and playing kick ass Metal. They set the crowd on fire and set the tone for the incredible day and show that was to follow.
For photo gallery click; Doctors of the Earth
Sonia Harley, A Vocal Powerhouse
Sonia Harley
Next Sonia Harley took the stage, showcasing her awesome vocals and moves that proved she is a true force of nature. Keep your eyes and ears open, as we feel you will be hearing a lot more from her.
For full photo gallery click; Sonia Harley
Budderside Takes The Stage
Budderside
Budderside, a relatively new band from Los Angeles followed next and hit the stage hard. With their dynamic presence and incredibly tight sound, these guys are sure to make some noise in Los Angeles. Their debut release is to be produced by Paul Inder Kilmister, son of the late/great Lemmy Klimister and is going to be a disc worth checking out.
For full photo gallery click; Budderside
Gabbie Rae Mesmerized The Crowd
Gabbie Rae
Gabbie Rae was greeted with a roar as she was definitely a crowd favorite. Gabbie and Co. had just come off a tour with 80’s icons, Europe and ripped through an impressive set of original and cover material. Be sure to catch Gabbie Rae at the Hair Nation Festival on September 17th 2016.
For full photo gallery click; Gabbie Rae
Dio Disciples Blew The Crowd Away With A Shredding Performance
Oni Logan with Dio Disciples
Simon Wright, Dio Disciples
The stage was then prepared for the band everyone was waiting for; Dio Disciples!
Their lineup included vocalists Tim Ripper Owens (Yngwie Malmsteen) Oni Logan (Lynch Mob) and Joe Retta (Heaven and Hell). Guitarist Craig Goldy (Dio), bassist Bjorn Englen (Yngwie Malmsteen), keyboardist Scott Warren (Dio, Heaven & Hell), and drummer extraordinaire Simon Wright (Dio, AC/DC, UFO).
Bjorn Englen and Tim “Ripper” Owens; Dio Diciples
Bjorn Englen and Joe Retta; Dio Disciples
The band was absolutely on fire and presented blistering versions of great Dio classics such as, Holy Diver, The last in Line and Rainbow in the Dark. The capacity crowd sang to every song throughout their set which was a testament to the enduring love and support for the late/great Ronnie James Dio. Their set was an amazing tribute to one of Rock’s greatest singers’.
For full photo gallery; Dio Disciples
Lita Ford Lights Up The Stage
Lita Ford hit the stage with a mighty force and began shredding the crowd with her all star band; Patrick Kennison (guitar and vocals), Marty O’Brien (bass) and drumming legend Bobby Rock.
Lita tore through a set of classic songs including Elton John’s The Bitch is Back, The Runaways Cherry Bomb and and her 1988 classic, Kiss Me Deadly from her “Lita” LP. Lita just off tour with Halestrom will re-join forces with Halestorm and Dorothy in October 2016. Lita has also just released her new Book “Living Like A Runaway” which tells her incredible life story in her own words and her new Album “Time Capsule” both can be found on her website here: litafordonline.com store
For full photo gallery click; Lita Ford
Great White Highlight An Incredible Day
The festival ended with an incredible performance by legendary hard rock band Great White. The band’s performance was as powerful as it was in their glory days proving why this band is still one of the top touring band from the 80’s. Their show was a great end to an event for a truly great cause.
The 2nd annual Ride For Ronnie was a huge success thanks to it’s supporters! Please don’t wait until next year to help Wendy Dio fight this disease; just go The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org) and pledge your support anytime. Next year will be even bigger and is sure to sell out in advance so don’t wait until the last minute to buy your tickets and help support this great cause!
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