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THE TRUTH ABOUT: Vivian campbell | History Defined

Before he went solo, Ronnie James Dio had already worked with two guitarists etched onto heavy metal’s Mount Rushmore. But players can also learn plenty from the oft-overlooked shredders who anchored his solo band

From a 17-year-old prodigy to a future stadium-conquering guitar superstar, Ronnie James Dio had a dream team of six-string sidekicks over the course of his solo career – and their contributions to his catalog should be essential listening for any aspiring metal guitarist

Guitar World

"We jokingly called the album Commercial Suicide while we were making it." Why one of the world's biggest rock bands had to go back to "ground zero" on their riskiest and darkest record

"Some reports said that it was a great record, but we should consider changing our name"

Louder

"They did okay without me." Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith looks back on his unsuccessful 1991 audition for one of the biggest bands in the world

"It sounded good. And they're a great bunch of guys. But it didn't work out"

Metal Hammer

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

“Who knows? It was worth pursuing. They did okay without me”: Adrian Smith on the time he auditioned for Def Leppard

He lost out to former Dio man Vivian Campbell, as well as another classic rock star...

Guitar World

"Really, the whole scene was very Spinal Tap. It was almost beyond parody": The true story of Hear 'n Aid, the heavy metal Band Aid

Eat your heart out, Bob Geldof – Hear ’n Aid saw the hard-rock community muscling in on the charity single bandwagon. Cue a heavyweight cast, guitar battles and big hair contests

Metal Hammer

"It was weird just being in the same room as him": The story of the Ronnie James Dio classic assembled from other bands' spare parts

Rainbow In The Dark a highlight of Holy Diver, an album Ronnie James Dio said was “one of the proudest things I’ve ever done”

Metal Hammer

"Las Vegas has always been such a main attraction for Def Leppard." Def Leppard announce 2026 Las Vegas residency

Yorkshire's biggest rock band announce 12 shows at Caesars Palace

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“One of the rarest and most coveted vintage amplifiers ever”: Mesa/Boogie’s hallowed Mark IIC++ was used by Metallica to shape the sound of 1980s metal – and now it’s been given a production release for the first time ever

Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield's Crunch Berries amp, which was only ever made as an unofficial mod exclusive only to artists, gets its first-ever wide release

Guitar World

“Experience one of the rarest and most coveted vintage amplifiers ever”: Mesa/Boogie puts ‘Crunch Berries’ on the menu as it releases the holy grail amp used by Metallica

Mesa/Boogie launches the Mark IIC++ head as a limited edition production model

MusicRadar

“I remember reading it and thinking, ‘Why did he say I left the band?’ I never left the band. I was fired”: Vivian Campbell sets the record straight on his infamous departure from Ronnie James Dio’s band

The guitar icon joined and departed Dio in the space of a few years owing to disagreements over the financial running of the band, Campbell says

Guitar World

“I could tell that he was very proud… ‘This is my guy, my guitar player. I found him under a rock in Belfast!’”: Vivian Campbell on his complicated relationship with Ronnie James Dio– and what Dio told Ozzy Osbourne about his playing

Campbell says working with the late, great Ronnie James Dio wasn't always easy – and it didn't help that Campbell once likened him to Tom Jones

MusicRadar

“This is how it’s done, kids. I need to practice more”: Vivian Campbell names his new guitar hero

The British blues rock guitarist received Campbell’s seal of approval on social media

Guitar World

"Obviously, I’m gonna buy him a beer or two or three." Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell thanks stem cell donor after getting cancer all clear

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell's cancer is in remission for first time since 2013 diagnosis

Metal Hammer

Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell in remission after lengthy battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma

Vivian Campbell's cancer is in remission after a length battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

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Guitar World

Their ranks have included blues-rock luminary Bernie Marsden, shred god Steve Vai, and journeyman virtuoso Reb Beach – here's the ultimate guide to the A-team guitarists that have shaped Whitesnake's blockbuster, stadium-conquering sound

David Coverdale’s revolving door of talent has included some of the finest rock guitarists of all time. This is how they each contributed to the many-times-platinum band's legacy

Metal Hammer

"Nobody has ever sung a heavy metal song better than Ronnie did": A tribute to Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio: July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010

Louder

Def Leppard update fans about Vivian Campbell's health, share footage from show played without him

Vivian Campbell missed Def Leppard's recent show in Leon, Mexico, as he recuperated from a bone marrow transplant

MusicRadar

“He and I played some sweet music together. He was a great musician”: Thin Lizzy legend Scott Gorham pays tribute to his former bandmate John Sykes

Sykes also starred for Whitesnake in the '80s

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Vivian Campbell misses Def Leppard gig due to cancer treatment

Def Leppard were without their guitarist Vivian Campbell when they played Mexico at the weekend as the musician has more cancer treatment.

Louder

Vivian Campbell misses first Def Leppard show of 2025 to receive treatment for cancer

Vivian Campbell has missed both shows Def Leppard have played since the finish of last year's Summer Stadium Tour

Metal Hammer

“People gravitate towards success. They say, ‘I want to play with Dio.’ I’ve always been able to surround myself with the top guys”: How Ronnie James Dio escaped Black Sabbath and launched one of metal‘s greatest solo careers

Singer, band leader, icon – this is the story of Ronnie James Dio’s epic solo career

Guitar World

“The Holy Grail of rackmount tube preamps is back”: Soldano revives two highly elusive rack units beloved by Steve Lukather, Peter Frampton and Vivian Campbell for the first time in decades

The X88-IR and SLO-100R reboot two of Soldano's most profound innovations from the late 1980s, and give them improved control and usability for modern players

Metal Hammer

"A new heavy metal classic for the ages": The song Ronnie James Dio called one of the "proudest things he'd ever done"

Begun by Dio when he was fronting Black Sabbath, it transformed his career and became one of the classic metal tracks of the 80s

Metal Hammer

“We could do anything we wanted with our hair and our clothes in front of tens of thousands of people. We were gods!”: how guitar legend Steve Vai survived Whitesnake

The story of guitar icon’s Steve Vai’s brief but eventful union with David Coverdale and Whitesnake for the Slip Of The Tongue album

Guitar World

“Ronnie gave me great advice about building a guitar solo... left to my own devices, it would have been a case of how many notes I could fit in!”: Vivian Campbell looks back on the 1984 Dio classic The Last In Line

How do you follow Holy Diver? That was the question facing Ronnie James Dio and his young band. The answer: is you double down on the metal anthems and record a stone cold classic

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