Ronnie James Dio’s Autobiography ‘Rainbow in the Dark’ Set for Posthumous Publication

Ronnie James Dio’s autobiography, Rainbow in the Dark, will finally be published posthumously July 27th via Permuted Press.

Dio, who died in 2010 after a battle with gastric cancer, began working on the book several years before his death. To finish the book, the musician’s widow and manager, Wendy Dio, worked with rock journalist and Mick Wall to flesh out unfinished sections. Wendy also shared her own observations on various events covered in the book.

Per a release, Rainbow in the Dark traces the whole of Dio’s life and career in a conversational style. Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and raised in upstate New York, his first instrument was the trumpet before he began playing guitar and bass in local bands while still in high school.

The book will cover formative moments like the loss of Dio’s best friend and bandmate in a car crash; how he moved from a sideman to frontman; the formation of Rainbow and his contentious but fruitful work with Ritchie Blackmore; how a chance meeting with Tony Iommi led to him becoming Black Sabbath’s second singer; and his relationship with Wendy and how she helped him launch his own eponymous band, Dio.

Rainbow in the Dark will also feature an array of photographs, including never-before-seen snapshots from family photo albums and Dio’s personal archives. There’ll also be an eight-page color insert filled with additional rare photos.

To mark the publication of Rainbow in the Dark, Wendy Dio will take part in a virtual LiveSigning.com event, which will air on July 28th at 3 p.m. ET on the Ronnie James Dio Facebook page. Those who preorder the book will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance for Wendy to answer.