Dio Cancer Fund Presents $100K to T.J. Martell Foundation from Guitar Auction and Awards Gala Proceeds

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is certainly doing its part to raise money, spread awareness, and, hopefully, one day find a cure for the same illness that took the life of one of rock’s all-time great vocalists, Ronnie James Dio.

The Dio Cancer Fund, upon its formation two years ago, pledged a total of $300,000 to the TJ Martell Foundation (an organization founded by music industry senior executive Tony Martell – who lost a son to leukemia – which raises funds for cancer research) and had already donated $200,000 to the Foundation. The remaining $100,000, which will be presented shortly, is earmarked for the gastric cancer research efforts at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, TN. These monies were raised from the Dio Cancer Fund’s recent annual Awards Gala and Celebrity Guitar Auction.

Tony Martell recently stated, “The T.J. Martell Foundation is honored to work with Wendy Dio and the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. We are all working together to fund important stomach cancer research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center that will lead to new discoveries and hope for patients and their families. Ronnie James Dio was a friend of mine. I know he would be proud of the progress being made in his name.”

On Saturday, December 1st, at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, a celebrity guitar auction was held benefiting the Dio Cancer Fund, which featured over 80 instruments donated by some of rock’s biggest names, including Slayer, Def Leppard, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Aerosmith, Slash, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Tony Iommi, the Foo Fighters, and many others.

“Ronnie James Dio was such a force in music and his memory continues to conjure thoughts of rock royalty,” said Darren Julien, Founder & CEO of Julien’s Auctions. “It was an honor for Julien’s Auctions to host the recent guitar auction that benefited The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. Dean Schachtel and the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund Board Members put their heart and soul into the event, and the passion of all the celebrities and musical artists who donated their guitars was phenomenal. Because of this we were able to raise much needed funds for an exceptional charity and cause.”

As Dio’s widow and founder/president of the Fund, Wendy Dio, explains: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the musicians and managers who donated guitars for our auction. Many thanks to Darren and everyone at Julien’s Auctions for printing such a beautiful catalogue and working so hard on our behalf. Thanks to Dean Schachtel and my very hardworking Board of Directors-together we raised an amazing sum for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. We will be presenting the T.J. Martell Foundation with a check for $100,000 which, in turn, will go to the Vanderbilt Research Center for studies in gastric cancers. Ronnie would be so very proud of all of you. Early detection saves lives, and one day, with your help, we will find a cure.”

The Dio Cancer Fund, a privately funded 501C3 charity organization dedicated to cancer prevention, research and education, also hosted its annual Awards Gala on Halloween night at the Avalon in Hollywood, which raised additional funds for its work.

As the singer of some of the most iconic bands of the hard rock/heavy metal genre – Rainbow, Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell, and Dio – Ronnie James Dio’s vocals can be heard on such all-time classics as “Man on the Silver Mountain,” “Long Live Rock n’ Roll,” “Neon Knights,” “Heaven and Hell,” “Rainbow in the Dark,” “Holy Diver,” and “The Last in Line,” among countless others. Dio passed away on May 16, 2010 after a battle with stomach cancer, at the age of 67.

MTT Remembers Paul Gray (#2, The Pig) of Slipknot (R.I.P.)

We had the opportunity (and pleasure) to be in the photo pit during Slipknot’s Mayhem Festival stop in Camden, NJ.  Not only was it the first and only time we’d ever seen Slipknot, but was also hands down one of the most insane concert experiences ever.  We’d already been spit on my Marilyn Manson, shredded to death by Dragonforce, but Slipknot took the overall trophy that day.

Paul Gray, the bassist of Slipknot, was found dead on May 24, 2010 in his Iowa hotel room.  Known as #2 or The Pig, Gray made a huge impact on the rock world through Slipknot’s musical contributions.  #2′s death follows very closely after the passing of Ronnie James Dio and Peter Steel of Type-O Negative.  People always say that things happen in threes…

We had the opportunity (and pleasure) to be in the photo pit during Slipknot’s Mayhem Festival stop in Camden, NJ.  Not only was it the first and only time we’d ever seen Slipknot, but was also hands down one of the most insane concert experiences ever.  We’d already been spit on my Marilyn Manson, shredded to death by Dragonforce, but Slipknot took the overall trophy that day.

The first thing that came into my mind as the curtains opened was, “what the fuck is going on?!”  Weird creatures crawling all over the stage, hydraulic lift drums, and mass insanity.  The music was brutally tight, and we were quite lucky to be in the safety of the photo pit… That was till they sent one of their goons running through the photo pit to break up the piece.  (I took a serious gut shot from a guy that must have been 6’7 350 lbs!  I didn’t care.  Sometimes I miss being in the pit!)

It was easy to suspend reality during their set as the music with the visuals seamlessly fused in musical madness.  We were literally leaning on the stage.  Corey Taylor kept spitting loogs all over the photographers (thankfully, I avoided it), and all the band members were in our face.  We had an extremely close view of very well calculated theatrics.  However, I can’t help but to think that those who were back in the crowd got the full sense of what transpired that night, not those in the guarded photo pit.

After our time was up in the photo pit, I quickly rushed to the other side of the pit and got into where the real maggots were crawling.  I didn’t know the history of the band, nor the words to any of their songs, but damn, they were bad ass.  It’s this lasting image that I have of #2.  Paul Gray was doing what he loved, to the people that loved him and his music.

His legacy lives in the music and all of the people he touched.

R.I.P. #2.

– Moe