A piece of Rock and Metal history met with a piece of California history this spring, when Rock For Ronnie, the annual outdoor concert tribute to the late, great Ronnie James Dio took place at the Autry Museum in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA on May 18th. 

The day kicked off bright and early, with the sun shining down on the lawn of the Autry Museum and fans packing in to see some of their favorite musicians pay their tributes to the legacy and memory of the iconic and beloved vocalist, Ronnie James Dio. Hosted by Ahmet Zappa, this event marked yet another successful chapter in the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund history, an organization which has raised over $2 million to date for cancer prevention research. This year, Wendy Dio presented a $25,000 check to The Regents of the University of California to further and continue cancer research progress.

Skateboard Marketing, Ltd., celebrating its 35th Anniversary in 2026, proudly displayed a banner at the event, always happy to support the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund and honor Ronnie’s memory.

Nearly nonstop music filled the area from the moment the day began, with a packed lineup of Anita Squeeze, Jason Charles Miller, Count’s 77, Kill Devil Hill, Dio Disciples and Led Zepagain. Dio Disciples’ lineup this year featured Simon Wright, Scott Warren, Ira Black, Bjorn Englen, Patrick Stone, and Gabriel Colon. 

Sebastian Bach rocked some of the most loved Skid Row classics, like “Youth Gone Wild” (also featuring his 12-year-old stepson Trace on guitar), “18 and Life”, “Slave To The Grind”, and “I Remember You”, naturally weaving tributes to Ronnie into the setlist with tracks like “Stand Up And Shout” and “Heaven and Hell”. 

The All-Star Jam at Rock For Ronnie is guaranteed to be full of fun surprises, and this year included: Ricky Warwick with some Thin Lizzy tracks; Tommy London singing “Panama” with Britt Lightning on guitar and Julia Lage on bass; John Bush and Neil Turbin on dual vocals for “Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll” with Britt Lightning, Julia Lage, Marc Ferrari, and Jeff Tortora; Dug Pinnick jamming some Jimi Hendrix with Stoney Curtis; Chas West, Rudy Sarzo, Doug Aldrich, Matt Starr, and Mike Mangan paying tribute to both Ronnie and John Sykes with “Crying In The Rain”; and Phil Demmel and Jeremy Colson joining Rudy Sarzo and Neil Turbin for some Priest. 

Check out some photos from the All-Star Jam below:

Always a fun time at any Ronnie James Dio event – keep an eye out for future event announcements via: https://diocancerfund.org/