I heard this morning and was so saddened. I only recently discovered all of his Sabbath recordings and solo work. I had heard of him before but never knew his work. Neon Knights is so legendary.
Very sorry to hear this. The older I get, the more I appreciate the range that the truly great talents have. We all know how he can belt out the powerful notes on "Neon Knights", "Lady Evil" etc. To get a sample of his remarkable range please listen to Children of the Sea from Heaven and Hell (the best Sabbath album IMHO). Right after the guitar solo and Gregorian chants he sings the verse below. His voice is so incredible in it's delicacy. I don't know how many times I have "rewound" the CD in the car to hear him sing it over and over. It sends chills. To have that kind of impact is a gift that is immeasurable.
In the misty morning, on the edge of time
We've lost the rising sun, a final sign
As the misty morning rolls away to die
Reaching for the stars, we blind the sky
Saw him twice in the last couple of years, both times with Deep Purple (concerto tour and summer 2006 they played before Purple). Instantly fell in love with his voice when I heard Rainbow's "On Stage" live album. He really was blessed with one of the most unique voices in the rock genre.
But even aside of his phenomenal singing talent, he never seemed distant, snobbish or disrepectful to the fans and musicians around. He took vocal lessons in his late 60-s - that just shows how passionate he was about music.
I was never a big fan, but I appreciated his talent, and from everything I've read and seen written about him, he seemed like a really decent, genuine guy. RIP.
I was lucky enough to see RJD with most of his various bands at various times over the last 30 odd years. Brilliant singer. Brilliant musician. Brilliant songwriter.
I haven't felt so regretful about someone I don't know personally dying since Freddie Mercury all those years ago.