Heaven & Hell

The supergroup Heaven & Hell originated in 2006 when Black Sabbath alumni Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice reconvened after a 15-year separation to record three new tracks for the compilation The Dio Years. The ensemble adopted its name from the 1980 Sabbath album that marked Dio’s first appearance with the band. During 2007 the musicians toured under that banner and issued the two-disc CD/DVD Live from Radio City Music Hall. Their initial full-length studio effort, Devil You Know, followed in 2009. That November, Dio’s wife Wendy disclosed that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, though she described the illness as being in its early stages and conveyed optimism for a complete recovery that would allow him to resume performing. Consequently, Heaven & Hell withdrew from their scheduled summer 2010 engagements, and Ronnie James Dio died from the disease on May 16, 2010, at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.