Around 1960, when I was about 14, my father, mother and my sister Christine moved west out of London and settled in Pinner, Middlesex where my parents took over The Oddfellows Arms pub.  My sister and I had to change schools of course, and I found myself going to Harrow County Grammar School for Boys on Gayton Road, Harrow.  The syllabus was different from my previous school, Sir Walter St.John’s Grammar School in Battersea, and that, coupled with the fact that I was a bit of a dreamer, meant that I was held back for a year, something that some would be embarrassed about, but I didn’t mind; it was an extra year before I really had to get my act together and get a job or something. 

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A few years ago, I had descended from my hotel room a trifle early before a concert.  I was sitting in the bar having a swift half when someone recognized me.  “Aren’t you excited?” he inquired excitedly, quivering with his own.  I politely asked him what about.  He stared at me incredulously, “Tonight, the concert is tonight.”  “Oh that, no, not particularly excited,” I replied, rather too nonchalantly. 

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A huge part of my life just disappeared.  Words are not enough, emotions are too much.

My sincere condolences to Ronnie’s family and friends.

RG

A set of interviews with Ronnie Dio, Eddie Hardin, Ray Fenwick, Alan Aldridge (author of the book) surfaced on Youtube some time ago.

Subsequent to this documentary, Deep Purple did indeed tour with Ronnie Dio and we had a wonderful time.

I would like to point out that Ronnie, being the straightforward, honest man that he is, told me on the first night how thoroughly pissed off he was that his name wasn’t on his first gold record. 

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What’s it all about then?  I’m sure you often wonder about that. 

Well so do I.  

There are several possible answers to that rather ambiguous and immense question.  In no particular order, here are a few… love, balance, survival, power, sex, cabbage, passion, knowledge, hors d’ouvres, socks, pressure, jealousy, furniture, speed, money, television, dental hygiene, paper, technology, family, stamp collecting, oil, frozen food, religion, underwear, betrayal, soap, fun, pain, curiosity, sneakers, drugs, art, nostalgia, sport, charity, nosebleeds, toys, duty, alcohol, music, babies, history, curtains…   I could go on but I sense you’re already getting bored. 

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