How Dave Grohl Surprisingly Learned Ronnie James Dio Was His Neighbor

Los Angeles is an interesting town with much of the entertainment industry residing in the city and its various suburbs, often with celebs living in close proximity of one another. During our chat with Dave Grohl at the 5th annual Bowl for Ronnie, the Foo Fighters frontman shared with us the story of moving into his L.A. home and how he was first surprised to learn that the metal hero was a neighbor.

"We actually ended up living in the same neighborhood. I remember when I first moved into my neighborhood, I was at a gas station down the street from my house and I saw Simon [Wright], his drummer at the time, at the gas station. I was like, 'What are you doing in this neighborhood?' and he's like, 'Oh, I was just up at Dio's house,'" recalls Grohl, who grew up listening to the metal icon. "I was like, 'What?! Dio lives in my neighborhood?!' It just kind of blew my mind and I'd see him out every once in a while."

The Foo Fighters frontman said while Dio was nearby, his real intro to the legendary rocker didn't come until a little while later when Grohl appeared on the soundtrack for Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny and they hung out at the premiere.

"Of course he was the nicest guy in the world and he was so sweet to everyone. He seemed very humble and down to earth and his music meant a lot to a lot of people, so when he passed I think the whole community really felt it because he was one of the good guys," the musician stated.

Speaking of his love for Dio, Grohl said, "You sort of never lose the records that you listen to when you were young. I always thought he had the most powerful voice and I loved the production of his records. I loved the musicians that played with him, and Vinny Appice is one of my favorite drummers of all-time." He went on to add that "Stand Up and Shout" was one of his favorite Dio songs ever.

Grohl made a surprise appearance earlier this year at the Ride for Ronnie concert in the spring and returned to bowl with Eddie Trunk's team at Thursday's Bowl for Ronnie fundraiser for the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. See our recap and photos here.

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