From 'TMS': Ronnie James Dio on the Origin of Metal Horns

Another day in November, another black diamond from That Metal Show’s headbanging video vaults.

In this clip from Season 2, Ronnie James Dio, seated alongside his Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell bandmate Geezer Butler, dispels the notion that he “invented” the universal hand symbol for heavy metal: the thrown fingers “devil horns.”

Dio, of course, has always been associated with tossing horns, so where did he pick it up from? Watch as he reveals all to TMS co-hosts Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine, and Don Jamieson. It's a rocking less in Italian traditions, protection from “the evil eye,” and Ronnie’s all-powerful proto-metal grandmother.

Be sure to pop back tomorrow for another TMS treasure. In the meantime, keep your horns up—high, hard, and heavy!