If they ever made a Mount Rushmore of rock singers, then you can bet your very best, mint condition copy of Holy Diver that the late, great Ronnie James Dio would be up there beside Robert Plant et al. Not only did the little man with the big voice front three multi-platinum selling bands (Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio for the uninitiated) he sold 150 million records, entertained and enchanted generations of fans and, for this writer’s money, was the greatest rock vocalist of all time.

While sadly the New Yorker passed away in 2010, his legend has lived on and the vision never died (to borrow a phrase from the icon himself). On July 27, Dio fans can get their hands on the autobiography of the man who popularised the famous Devil Horns symbol. Dubbed Rainbow In The Dark, the book recalls Ronnie’s remarkable life from his early days in street gangs and doo-wop groups to his ultimate coronation as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Penned by Dio himself before his untimely passing, finished and edited by Mick Wall and overseen by Ronnie’s wife and manager Wendy, Hot Press had a sneak advance peak at Rainbow In The Dark and this magical metal memoir is a must have for fans of the legend.

Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography By Ronnie James Dio, With Mick Wall And Wendy Dio is published by Constable and released on July 27.