who do you prefer? i know this is a randy rhoads board so im guessing and excpecting ozzy to win this one. he has my vote.

i also think that dio copied ozzy in some ways.

Dio is a better singer, but Ozzy is a much better frontman. I've seen them both, and both put on a great show. But if I could only see one it would be Ozzy.

i think they are both about equal singing wise.

Really???

Ozzy in an entertainer, Dio is a trained vocalist. Still doesn't change the fact I enjoy Ozzy more, but lets call a spade a spade here, technically speaking Dio is a MUCH better singer.

theres something about ozzys voice that no matter how he is singing sounds so unique and it just sends a chill through my body especially on some paticular songs. id like to see dio sing black sabbath and make it sound half as good.

but in other ways dio is amazing. he fits in with rob halford and bruce dickenson and thats a really good thing.

Lol Jeez Demon there are a lot of polls from you I can't keep lol. But Ozzy. Better singer in the day. Better performer.

yeah i like the polls. i like comparing bands and musicians and see what other people think of them and discussing them.

Like LoQ said, Dio is a much better singer. However, Ozzy is THE voice of vintage Black Sabbath. My all-time favorite Sabbath songs are still "Black Sabbath" and "The Wizard" -- both with Ozzy on vocals. That being said, the studio album by Black Sabbath that I pull out to listen to most frequently is ... "Heaven and Hell."

I've seen some Ozzy shows where he was just flat as a performer, but I've never seen a bad Dio performance. I also can't ignore the fact that the one and only time I saw an opening act completely blow a headliner off the stage it was when Metallica opened for Ozzy in '86 and, after seeing Metallica, Ozzy looked like a befuddled old fart at that show. Don't get me wrong, I looooove Ozzy, but yeah, I'll go out on the limb and vote for Dio this time.

i am with rick here.. since i played with dio a little bit and played for him and jammed with him some. i know what he can do musically. and i know what ozzy knows musically. nothing "I just get up there, scream and jump around"
dio gets the vote
ozzy wins the entertainment value prize

Ozzy all the way.
I don't like Dio's style of singing for metal. Leave opera type singing to opera singers.

Say that to Freddie Mercury.

did you say you played for him?????!!!!!

I like both of them .Dio is strong singer Ozzy is great frontman.
It is what it is They both kick ass

so who did you vote for?

well not offically, we met in 1985 at audiable sound in burbank, madam-x was in studio A and dio was in studio B. he was having problems with viv in rehersal for the sacred heart lp. and was very frustrated, he was playing pinball in the lobby viv was on the payphone in the far corner of the lobby, i just walked up to him and said hi. he was cordial but he was clearly not happy with viv, he asked me if i knew any availible guitar players. and i said well yea, me. he told me to jot down my # real quick so i did i gave it to him and never expected anything. a couple days later i got a call from ninji management asking if i was availble for an audition at audible sound in burbank. i said yes and got a ride down there from a friend and they were all there ecept viv. ronnie had me plug into viv's amps, an old marshall jcm800 with a bradshaw mod. and he left the room to let me warm up. i started playing licks not trying to be flashy just pickin. anyway i started playing heaven and hell and vinnie jumped in on the drums and jimmy started on the bass part and ronnie came back into the room and started from the top. we took it all the way thru just like the last in line tour . (minus a guitar solo) he like it and called out we rock and off we wnt into that. then he called out dont talk to strangers and we went into that but i had to change the sweep picked solo cuz i didnt know how to do it. anway he had fun i had fun and he told me he would call me back for a more formal sit down. he did a week later he told me i did not get the job but a guy from angel named goldy did. i didnt know he was a blackmore clone (actually i think he is better at playing ritchies stuff than ritchie) but ronnie really liked him and i was cool with that and he said he hoped we could remain friends. i told him i would love to be his friend. and well my band shaman played all kinds of private parties for ronnie (birthday parties for him, and rowan robertson, a private party for vinnie appice, ect he always got up to sing with us during the set. at least 3 or 4 songs) then i got another audition replacing tracy G from WWIII but again criag became availiable for the slot and got it again (majica album)then in stepped doug aldrich and well there aint no way i can compete with that. anyway. we have stayed in touch and friends for a long time he remembers everyones name i was associated with from those days (something he is good at is remembering your friends and spouses names.

last time we talked was at peire's in ft. wayne in 2003 he was headlining the gig with kings X and hammerfall opening. we went on the bus and hung out after for an hour or 2 before they had to leave.

everytime he is near here i call wendy and she leaves me tix at the door for pickup

oh yea i forgot that he invited me down to watch the hearing aid sessions take place too. i saw most all of it live and in person. especially on guitar solo night/day/night here is a picture of us from his birthday pary in 1990 we just got done playing.

sorry bout the hijack back on topic....dio better singer ozzy better showman and performer

Personally, I just love the sound of Ozzy's voice. Yes, he can't sing all that great now and had some problems even back in the day, but when he was on, it was amazing. He sounds so great on all those Sabbath and Rhoads albums in particular. His singing style just seems to fit more of a metal sound than I think Dio's does. Ozzy's voice is a little rougher, creepier and I think cooler sounding. Yea, Dio is better trained and so forth, but Ozzy gets my vote.

thats such a cool story. which one in the pic is you?

i am the guy on the right

Queen isn't really metal. Freddie's voice works with Queen's sort of music. I think Dio's voice over Black Sabbath stuff, especially Ozzy type riffs, sounds strange. Not that it's bad...just strange.

Don't apologize! You didn't hijack.

Great story Kevin, how facinating! I never knew that about you. I would have been crapping bricks playing with Ronnie. Especially since Viv was an early influence of mine.

My old band rehersed in a studio nextdoor to Dio one time (some place in Van Nuys I believe). It was after Craig joined the band. But I never talked to him. I just saw Craig and Ronnie briefly as the door to their rehersal studio was closing.

Awesome story KK. You seem to have met quite a few of the metal royalty, Randy included. Awesome.

But for me, Dio is quite obviously the more accomplished singer, he can probably hit notes Ozzy couldn't dream of, but seriously, that 70's Black Sabbath Ozzy voice is just so damn listenable. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath or something for example, while Dio could sing it technically better with his trained voice, it would never sound as good without Ozzy's actual tone of voice.

Ozzy gets my vote for uniqueness.

yeah. you cant copy ozzys voice

Dio FTW! Dio is a WAY better singer, Dio really sings... Ozzy just uses his nasal voice to sing....

Am i the only one that think that Dio has a unique voice? you hear directly that its Dio when you hear him sing.

But i must say that Dio in Sabbath... naa not the same...

Ozzy has his unique voice aswell.

AWSOME story Kevin!

Dio all the way man, Dio has far far more control over his Vocals than Ozzy ever had.

Kevin man thats such a great story, to Jam with Dio is something i only see in my dream LOL

thank you all so much, like i have said a few times before, about other things, and early points in my music career it is almost surreal.. i mean i know it all happend to me and everything but it was a long time ago and really i was a different person than i am now, it feels like it all happend to somebody else but i was a behind the eye observer. like when i stood on the stage at the ryman auditorium in nashville a couple weeks ago playing a blues with an alverez accoustic. i had the same feeling of awe come over me about where i was and the wood i was standing on and those who stood in that spot before me, elvis, johnny cash, carl perkins, hank williams sr, willie nelson, patsy cline. just going my god boy do you really realize where you are and where you are standing right now playing a guitar where legends have stood....that same feeling flooded over me in 1985 when i took the stage at the whisky. going my god jimi was here page was here rhoads was here.. my god my god my life is good...and i still feel it.. its all quite humbling and i am truely like i said on the 700 club "blessed beyond measure"
KK

Kevin,

That is an amazing story, thanks for sharing. I know it's off-topic but what did you think of Rowan Robertson? He was only 16 when he was with Dio wasn't he?

Dio is definitely the stronger singer, such a powerful voice. Ozzy tho is my favourite, there's just something about his voice that no-one can replicate.

he is a cool dude...wendy and ronnie got him this 6 ft stuffed roger rabbit for his birthday one year it was really cool i remember gene simmons dancing with it on the dance floor.

I'd like to hear Ozzy sing Dio/Rainbow song and make it sound half as good... No, actually I don't, it's impossible.

You're right, Ozzy's voice is distinctive, most people either love or hate it. I like both Ozzy & Dio but Ronnie is a better singer, no doubt. Ozzy's Black Sabbath & solo material has very good songs but as a singer he's nowhere near Ronnie. Can't complain Dio's performance either.

BTW cool stories KK!