DIO Eterno \\ SLASH: RONNIE JAMES DIO Was 'The Kind Of Rock Star People Should Aspire To Be'

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash told MTV News that legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio — who died early Sunday morning after battling stomach cancer for less than a year — was one of a kind. "There's not a lot of people like Ronnie," he said. "You start to recognize [his] amazing contribution to rock and roll, or to music, however you want to look at it. People have taken it for granted because he's so good and he's always been there. He's so consistent, he's always putting out albums, he's been in four different bands, and he's always been around. And all of a sudden, the reality of him not being there anymore really makes you recognize what an iconic and amazing individual he was."

A few days after Dio's death, Slash said the reality was just beginning to set in that the world will be without the singer's signature operatic wail. "Ronnie is one of a kind," he said. "He was phenomenal. We met many times in passing. Not too long ago, we put our hand imprints at the RockWalk at Guitar Center in Los Angeles together. He was a consummate gentleman — the kind of rock star people should aspire to be, as opposed to being sort of arrogant pricks. Ronnie was very genuine and very considerate and just really nice to everybody."