Ronnie James Dio’s widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio recently revealed plans to reissue the 1985 charity single “Stars” released under the Hear ‘N Aid banner. She shared details about ongoing negotiations in a statement on Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk.
Dio discussed the current status of the reissue project. She revealed that Metal Blade Records has made an offer for the release.
“We have been working on that. We’ve had a couple of little things that have happened. But Metal Blade has offered us a deal for this. And hopefully it could come out, yes, soon. And we’re working on a book as well, a Hear ‘N Aid book of photos, because we have so many photos from that time,” she said.
Dio also addressed the challenges involved in bringing the project to completion.
“So, yeah, there’s a lot of Hear ‘N Aid stuff in the works right now. As I said, we have an offer from Metal Blade, and we’ve been working on getting that together. It’s just a lot of stuff, red-tape stuff that has to be done before you can put something out,” she continued.
The announcement comes nearly four decades after the original charity project made its mark on the metal community and humanitarian efforts worldwide.
WMGK reported that the original “Stars” single brought together 40 metal and rock artists to raise funds for famine relief in Africa. The project represented heavy metal’s answer to pop music charity initiatives like Band Aid and USA For Africa. It demonstrated the genre’s commitment to humanitarian causes.
The impact of the original release was substantial. Wikipedia noted that proceeds from the album raised over $3 million for famine relief in Africa. The massive undertaking required hundreds of volunteers who donated their time and talent over four months to make the project a reality.
The planned reissue will feature a modern twist on the original concept. WMGK indicated that the new version will include younger bands alongside the original recording. Proceeds will benefit the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to cancer research and education.
The Hear ‘N Aid project remains a significant milestone in metal history. It showcased the genre’s capacity for unity and charitable action during a time when heavy metal faced widespread criticism and misunderstanding from mainstream media and society.
