Key takeaways: Jack Black praised Ronnie James Dio as heavy metal’s greatest vocalist at the 2026 Bowl for Ronnie tournament. Black recalled their collaboration on Tenacious D projects and described Dio as a gifted performer with a strong sense of humor. The article also reviews Black’s earlier tributes to Dio, including a Grammy Award dedication.

Jack Black, actor and musician, spoke about Ronnie James Dio at the annual Bowl for Ronnie celebrity tournament on Nov. 12 at Pinz Bowling Center in Studio City, California. In an interview with former Anthrax singer Neil Turbin for Canadian outlet The Metal Voice, Black explained why he considers Dio the greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time.

What Did Jack Black Say About Ronnie James Dio?

Jack Black called Ronnie James Dio the greatest heavy metal vocalist and praised his voice, spirit, humor and influence. Black made the remarks during an interview at the 2026 Bowl for Ronnie tournament. Black described Dio as a legendary vocalist.

The interview was uploaded to YouTube on Nov. 12, and Neil Turbin began by asking Black for his thoughts on Ronnie in 2026.

“I bowl for Ronnie. Ronnie’s still the reigning champion, greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time,” Black began.

At the end of their conversation, Turbin asked Black for an inspiring thought about Ronnie James Dio as people gathered to celebrate Dio’s life and memory.

Black replied: “Beautiful voice, beautiful spirit, beautiful man. He’s about 5’0” but what an incredible soul he packed into that frame. Legend! [I] miss him.”

Black also recalled working with Dio on Tenacious D projects:

We [Tenacious D] got to collab with him. We wrote a song about him [“Dio”] and we were kinda making fun – saying he was too old to rock. It’s comedy, and he got the joke. He had a great sense of humor. But it was also a love letter to Ronnie because he was such a big influence on me. I just love hearing his voice, and we got to collab.

We [also] did a little performance in his music video for “Push” [from 2002’s ‘Killing the Dragon’], and then he came on and played himself in the ‘Tenacious D: The Pick Of Destiny’ movie, which is just fucking legendary. Really, [it’s] the best part of the movie, and he blessed us with his talents and his aura.

The interview captures Jack Black discussing Dio’s voice, their collaboration and the musician’s appearance in The Pick of Destiny.

Jack Black Praises Dio at 2026 Bowl for Ronnie Tournament (Nov. 12, 2026)

READ MORE: The One Iron Maiden Song Played at the 2026 Rock Hall Ceremony (And Who Played It)

What Has Jack Black Said About Dio Before?

Jack Black has praised Ronnie James Dio on several occasions, including for Dio’s influence, album artwork and music. Their collaborations and Black’s public tributes reflect the mutual respect he described in the interview.

In 2018, Black said Dio’s Holy Diver had the most metal album cover ever during an appearance on the YouTube channel Good Mythical MORE, as previously reported by Loudwire. Other album covers he considered included Amon Amarth’s Surtur Rising, Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast, Manowar’s The Triumph of Steel and Wretched’s Cannibal.

“What’s more Satanic than a Satan demon throwing a priest into the water [while] chained?” Black said of Holy Diver [via Loudwire].

In 2015, Tenacious D dedicated its Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance to Dio. The band won for its cover of Dio’s “The Last in Line,” which appeared on the tribute album Ronnie James Dio – This Is Your Life.

“This Grammy is all about Ronnie James Dio. We are so proud to have known Ronnie and this is just another testament to his greatness,” Black commented [via Loudwire].

Wendy Dio, Ronnie’s widow, also celebrated the award and recalled that Jack Black called her after Tenacious D won. She said her only regret was that Ronnie could not be there in person to see the award [via Loudwire].

Was Tenacious D’s Grammy dedicated to Dio? Yes. The band dedicated its 2015 Best Metal Performance award to Ronnie James Dio after winning for its cover of “The Last in Line.”

What Tenacious D projects featured Dio? Dio appeared in the music video for “Push” and played himself in Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny; the band also wrote the song “Dio” about him.

What did Jack Black say about Holy Diver? In 2018, Black called Holy Diver the most metal album cover ever during an appearance on Good Mythical MORE.

Do you agree with Jack Black’s opinion that Dio is the greatest heavy metal singer ever? If not, who is?

Scroll on to see photos from the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, including Jack Black.