Interview with Former Dio Guitarist Rowan Robertson

June 15, 2020

Interview with Former Dio Guitarist Rowan Robertson

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Rowan! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
Rowan Robertson: Hi Mick!

CV: At 17, being selected as the new guitar player for Dio, at the height of Heavy Metal's popularity in 1989, must have been an overwhelming experience as well as a young Metal fan's ultimate dream come true. Looking back at that time now, does it all seem surreal to some degree? Were you even aware, at the time, of the magnitude of such an accomplishment or wasn't there time to consider the impact given what was being expected of you to deliver?
RR: Looking back, it does seem somewhat surreal. I didn’t feel the pressure of having to perform back then, I just played and it seemed normal to do…I think my youth helped me in that regard. It was a big achievement and I knew it…I felt I had achieved my life’s goal!

CV: Has there been anything that has rivaled the feeling you had when you received word that you had gotten the job with Dio?
RR: When they told me I had the gig it was an amazing feeling, as I say, I was on cloud nine and felt I had achieved my life’s dream right there and then. But the greatest feeling in my life still to this day is the process of creativity when you write something really, really good. Usually with me, that comes from collaborating with other people. The recording studio is a fantastic experience too, especially for me working on original music.

CV: Rowan, so much has been said about Ronnie James Dio. Fans worldwide have a deep and personal connection to the man as an artist and the music he produced. From your personal experience, what was he like and was the man anything like the myth that now exists...does your time with Dio live up to the legend?
RR: I was fortunate enough to call Ronnie James Dio a friend and not only that, he was my mentor and also he looked out for me as I was so young. He was thoughtful, caring and very funny, so my experience in Dio was great.

CV: Unfortunately, the work on what would be your sophomore album with Dio never came to be. It’s reported that recordings were made of a handful of songs. How many songs were written and why do you feel the album's efforts were never revisited and the lineup later dismissed rather than put on hiatus?
RR: When my time ended with Dio, it was because Ronnie put his band on ice to do Black Sabbath again. We knocked around maybe a couple of guitar riffs over two sessions but that was it, there was no songs written for a second album. On the first album there was one track that wasn’t recorded…I wouldn’t be able to let it out publicly without Wendy Dio‘s blessing as it was her and Ronnie who brought me out here and gave me my break. He never asked me to come back to the band when he put it back together. I had a record deal with my own group…who knows, if I was available, maybe he would have asked, but he never did. I don’t know about the other members. Simon worked with him through to the end.

CV: Do you see there ever being a chance of fans getting to hear any of those recordings…maybe included on some future tribute to Dio release?
RR: I hope the fans do get to hear the song, but it was only recorded in rehearsal. From what I understand there is other material which never made albums in other lineups. It would be nice for people to hear that stuff but that’s not up to me. One thing that Ronnie did say, was that he wrote enough songs for the record, he did not write 20 songs and choose 10, he wrote 10 for the album. In my case there was one extra and a different chorus for one of the other songs too.

CV: What's your overall take on the various line ups of Dio tribute bands currently out and about, including your own tribute version, Southern Cross? Some critics feel some artists are just looking to "cash in" on a brand. Is it such or is it more of a way to honor a friend and keep the spirit of his music alive? What's your opinion?
RR: I think in the case of people playing his music to make money, His band members devoted sometimes big parts of their lives to building the band with him…so to some degree it is their right to perform that music. Also, I can’t imagine that he would have begrudged his band members making a buck. I could be wrong, and of course I can’t speak for him because he’s not here. There is a line I’m sure where it becomes tasteless.

CV: Rowan, if you had to relay one lesson or piece of insight you learned during your tenure with Ronnie James Dio, something you still reflect on today, what would it be and why?
RR: The first thing that springs to mind is how Ronnie would say, you can try any amplifier or piece of gear in the world you want, but nothing will beat a Marshall and a guitar cord…Ha, Ha, Ha!

CV: You have remained busy; as a member of The Duncan Brothers’ DC4, a member of Bang Tango, a columnist, a guitar instructor and as a member of the Vegas hit, Raiding the Rock Vault. Do you see yourself as a survivor or more as someone who takes it as it comes and goes with the flow one moment at a time, especially when it comes to your music career?
RR: I consider myself to do what I have to do to get on and enjoy playing the guitar for a living. Obviously for me the best is writing original music and recording Rock albums…I think there are a lot of guitarists who would love to do that for a living all the time! Having said that, it is really nice to get back, when you teach someone and you show them something which is really going to help them…that is a really worthwhile thing to do.

CV: What do you consider to be a defining moment in an artist's career and does such a moment later limit the artist? What has been your defining moment?
RR: I think obviously, my defining moment is the “Lock Up the Wolves” album, and I feel very fortunate for it. It was a good album…it captured excitement and I played really well on it.

CV: Thank you again Rowan for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.
RR: Thank you Mick!

Check out Rowan at:
Official: http://www.rowanrobertson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rowan-Robertson-54872243151/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rowanrobertson

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.