666-Item Auction Of Ronnie James Dio’s Belongings Begins Today
The estate of late heavy metal icon Ronnie James Dio is auctioning off 666 items from the artist’s personal collection, including his guitars, stage outfits, and artwork. The auction will be hosted by Julien’s Auction and take place today and tomorrow (9/14 and 9/15).
The original Barry Jackson painting used as the cover art for Dio’s 1984 album The Last In Line is among the hot ticket items. Dio’s estate will be auctioning off instruments from throughout his career: the 1984 Aria Pro II Super Bass Elite II that he used while recording Dio’s 1987 album Dream Evil, the 1961 Gibson bass guitar from Dio’s Elf days, as well as amps and gold records. The Gibson bass is estimated to go for $10,000. His 1993 passport, medieval weapons, religious artwork, sports memorabilia, and his Asteroids arcade furniture are also up for auction.
“Dio stands atop the colossal rock legends of our time as the definitive heavy metal hero whose voice, style and persona influenced heavy metal and today’s music icons like no other,” Darren Julien, president/chief executive officer of Julien’s Auctions, said in a statement. “Julien’s Auctions salutes Dio’s enduring legacy in this larger than life collection of his artifacts that will surely be the ultimate metal auction of the season.”
Head over to Julien’s Auctions for more information on the auctioned items.