JAMES LOMENZO To Temporarily Replace RUDY SARZO In DIO DISCIPLES

Former DIO members Rudy Sarzo (bass),Simon Wright (drums),Craig Goldy (guitar) and Scott Warren (keyboards) will join forces with singers Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and Toby Jepson (LITTLE ANGELS, GUN) to play a number of shows in Europe under the name DIO DISCIPLES.

Because of Sarzo's commitment to BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, WHITE LION) will join the band for the European dates until Rudy becomes available.

Wright (AC/DC, DIO, UFO, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, RHINO BUCKET) played drums in DIO for 1990's "Lock Up The Wolves" album. He left the band in 1991 when Ronnie James Dio rejoined BLACK SABBATH. Wright returned to DIO in 1999 and remained the band's drummer until Ronnie's death. Vinny Appice was the DIO drummer from 1993 to 1999.

On guitar is longtime DIO member Craig Goldy (ROUGH CUTT, GIUFFRIA, DAVID LEE ROTH, DIO) who made his DIO debut on 1985's "Sacred Heart" album.

On keyboards is 15-year DIO and HEAVEN & HELL veteran Scott Warren. Scott made his DIO debut on 1996's "Angry Machines" album.

On bass is the multi-talented James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, HAIL!, WHITE LION, DAVID LEE ROTH).

On vocals is Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE, BEYOND FEAR, ICED EARTH, HAIL!, CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED).

Joining Owens on vocals from Manchester, U.K. is Toby Jepson (LITTLE ANGELS, FASTWAY, GUN, TOBY AND THE WHOLE TRUTH).

Commented Ronnie James Dio's widow and manager Wendy: "There will never be another Ronnie, but we want to keep his music alive and hope you will support the band and become one of the DIO DISCIPLES.

"We will [announce] the U.K./European tour dates as they are confirmed, and we are planning some U.S. dates also.

"Hope to see you at one of the shows."

Wendy Dio recently revealed to AOL's Noisecreep that Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST),Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION),Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, NIRVANA),Lemmy Kimister (MOTÖRHEAD),Alice Cooper, Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW) and Chris Jericho (FOZZY) are among the artists who will appear on a forthcoming tribute album to Ronnie. Grohl will do the BLACK SABBATH hit "Mob Rules" and Halford will take on "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll". Cooper already has a song in mind, going back to the ELF days, according to Wendy.

"Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography Of Ronnie James Dio", the revealing memoir of the heavy metal master, will be published in the spring of 2012 via MTV Books.

With nearly five decades of worldwide success and album sales in the tens of millions as the front man of ELF, RAINBOW, DIO, BLACK SABBATH, and, most recently, HEAVEN & HELL, Ronnie James Dio grabbed the mic, took the stage, and led a movement whose influence resonates to this day. In "Rainbow In The Dark", Dio himself will introduce the reader to this incredible life and the over 50 photographs included will provide readers with an unprecedented all-access pass to the rock concert of a lifetime.

Wendy Dio revealed in a recent interview that Ronnie James Dio's memoir was three-quarters written before the singer's death and that she has until June 2011 to finish it so that it could be released the following spring.

"Everything Ronnie did, lyrics or anything, was always handwritten," Wendy told VH1 Classic Rock Nights. "He didn't do anything on the computer. So he would handwrite it and then he'd give it to me and then I'd give it to my assistant, she'd type it up. So that's how it went and, of course, I'd read it along the way and it's very, very interesting. It's just interesting the way his stories are; he was a storyteller. Ronnie was always a storyteller and it's just great stories."