Though beloved metal singer Ronnie James Dio passed away in 2010, his memory has lived on in the hearts of many fans. With an exceptional career fronting bands like Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Elf and more, there are no shortage of musicians that have played with Dio over the years. Last night, some of those musicians came together for a spectacular tribute.
A band called the Dio Disciples appeared at the Wacken Festival in Germany, where they not only performed Dio’s music, but they performed it with a hologram ofDio himself. The hologram itself took over a year to create, and the company Eyellusion says that it was “the first time a hologram has been accompanied by a live band in a traditional concert setting.”
Dio’s widow, Wendy, is now managingDio Disciples and worked withEyellusion to create the hologram. She says, “When I first experienced the full production of Ronnie performing with his band as a hologram, I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears… With Eyellusion, we have been able to get Ronnie back up on stage where he belongs, ensuring that his music and memory live on. I want Ronnie’s fans around the world to share this experience.”
Watch official footage of the Dio hologram, below.
Eyellusion is working up a Dio Tour for 2017, and plans to make holograms of other late musicians as well.
With holographic performances becoming more of a reality – especially at large-scale festivals – it begs a discussion of whether this type of tribute is an appropriate way to honor a musician’s legacy.
[H/T Rolling Stone]