Ronnie James Dio is a heavy metal legend and well-known for popularizing the hand gesture known as the 'devil horns' or 'rock hand' (the latter of which sounds more like a disease you get from ticks than a hand sign).
Unlike KISS bassist Gene Simmons, who made headlines recently after attempting to trademark the gesture, Dio never claimed to have invented it. Dio always said he remembered seeing his grandmother use the malocchio sign when he was a child and adopted it himself when he began performing in rock bands.
But the singer was well-aware Simmons laid claim to the gesture.
"It's been more equated with me than with anyone else, although Gene Simmons will tell you that he invented it," Dio said in the 2005 documentary film, Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. "But then again Gene invented breathing and shoes and everything, you know."
Simmons abandoned his controversial application to trademark the gesture on Thursday.
Dio's widow, Wendy Dio, referred to the patent application as "laughable."
“I think [Simmons] has made a complete fool of himself," she told the Wrap. "It’s disgusting. What does he want?”
The Dio family's aggravation notwithstanding. Rock and metal fans on social media were quick to point out the gesture's lengthy history, which may date all the way back to ancient Buddhism, in addition to resembling the American Sign Language sign for 'I love you.'
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