The heavy-metal world has lost one of its greats. Ronnie James Dio—who, in 1979, replaced Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath’s frontman—passed away Sunday at age 67 after a battle with stomach cancer.

Twenty-four years earlier, the hard-rocking singer chatted with host Bob “Mr. Media” Andelman, then a pop-music critic for the Tampa Tribune.

"I want to be prepared," Ronnie (above) said of keeping busy—and funded—during his retirement.

During the 35-minute, never-before-aired interview, Ronnie, who also sang for Elf and Rainbow during his 50-year career, discussed how he was preparing for his golden years.

“I just bought a building, in Los Angeles—on Sunset Boulevard,” he told Bob.

“It’s a building that was owned by Charlie Chaplin. It’s going to be a sound- stage for videos; for full-scale productions. It also has room for smaller bands. We’ll potentially have a recording studio there on the property.

“Again, something to ensure that, later in life, I’ll be Continue reading →