Elf was a blues-rock band formed in upstate New York, USA, in 1967. The band was founded by vocalist/bassist Ronnie James Dio (real name: Ronald Padavona), guitarists David Feinstein and Nick Pantas, keyboardist Doug Thaler, and drummer Gary Driscoll. The band's original name was The Electric Elves, which was later shortened to The Elves, and, finally, Elf. In 1968, Pantas was killed in a car accident. Following the accident, Doug Thaler moved to rhythm guitar and Mickey Lee Soule joined as keyboardist. In 1972, Thaler dropped out of the group. The same year, the band cut their self-titled debut album, which was produced by Ian Paice and Roger Glover and saw Dio credited under his real name, Ronald Padavona. The following year, Craig Gruber was recruited on bass so that Dio could concentrate solely on vocals. At the same time, David Feinstein quit and was replaced by Steve Edwards. This line-up recorded two studio albums. In 1975, Ritchie Blackmore recruited the entire band, minus Edwards, to join him in his new act, Rainbow, effectively ending Elf.
Ronnie James Dio went on to a successful career in heavy metal, fronting Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band, Dio. David Feinstein also found a career in metal, leading the band The Rods for a number of years. Original keyboardist Doug Thaler went on to a career in music management. Drummer Gary Driscoll was found murdered in his home in 1987. The crime remains unsolved.
In the 2000s, Dio spoke about the possibility of reuniting the band but this never came to pass as the singer succumbed to stomach cancer in 2010.
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October 9, 1976
The Brookside
DeWitt, New York, United StatesSeptember 18, 1976
Morgan Hill State Forest
Tully, New York, United StatesSeptember 18, 1976
The Boardwalk
North Syracuse, New York, United StatesJuly 10, 1976
The Country Tavern
Warners, New York, United StatesMay 14, 1976
The Brookside
DeWitt, New York, United StatesMay 1, 1976
The Country Tavern
Warners, New York, United StatesApril 16, 1976
The Brookside
DeWitt, New York, United StatesMarch 20, 1976
The Country Tavern
Warners, New York, United StatesMarch 19, 1976
The Country Tavern
Warners, New York, United StatesMarch 6, 1976
The Brookside
DeWitt, New York, United StatesFebruary 21, 1976
The Brookside
DeWitt, New York, United StatesMay 9, 1975
The Brookside
DeWitt, New York, United StatesApril 26, 1975
The Brookside
DeWitt, New York, United StatesApril 3, 1975
Liebenau
Graz, Styria, AustriaMarch 30, 1975
Ernst-Merck-Halle
Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyMarch 29, 1975
Sporthalle
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, GermanyMarch 27, 1975
Friedrich-Ebert-Halle
Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Rhineland-Palatinate, GermanyMarch 25, 1975
Sporthalle
Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg, GermanyMarch 23, 1975
Westfalenhalle
Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, GermanyMarch 20, 1975
Brøndby Hallen
Copenhagen, Capital Region, DenmarkSome of ELF's most popular tracks include Never More, Hoochie Koochie Lady, First Avenue, I'm Coming Back For You, Dixie Lee Junction. Listen to these songs and discover more from their extensive catalog.
Elf was a blues-rock band formed in upstate New York, USA, in 1967. The band was founded by vocalist/bassist Ronnie James Dio (real name: Ronald Padavona), guitarists David Feinstein and Nick Pantas,... Read the full biography on this page.
You can find ELF vinyl records and merchandise on eBay. We feature a curated selection of vinyl releases and collectibles available for purchase.
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