Ronnie James Dio before he was famous

Before Rainbow, Ronnie James Dio studied pharmacology and played trumpet.

The nobody years

1960 Pharmacology and trumpet
At Buffalo, he studied pharmacology and played trumpet in the university concert band.
He is said to have turned down a Juilliard scholarship to play rock and roll. Source
early 1960s No degree
He left without a degree, then dropped out of Cortland State too.
He left Buffalo without a degree, then dropped out of Cortland State too. Source
1960s Years of changing names
His band kept changing names: the Prophets, the Electric Elves, then Elf.
For fifteen years the band kept changing names, from the Prophets to the Electric Elves to Elf. Source
1972 Opening for Deep Purple
Elf became a regular opening act for Deep Purple.
Elf became a regular opening act for Deep Purple. Source
1942
Was born Ronald Padavona in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, during his father's Army service. Source
1940s
The family soon went home to Cortland, in upstate New York. Source
1947
He started formal trumpet lessons at five. Source
1950s
He grew up on opera and the tenor Mario Lanza. Source
1957
In high school he formed a band called the Vegas Kings and played bass. Source
1960
At the University at Buffalo he studied pharmacology and played trumpet in the concert band. Source
1960
He first put the name Dio on a record in 1960. Source