Ronnie James Dio passed away eight years ago today (May 16), and what better way to salute the icon than by honoring the beloved gesture that he made famous.

That's right...that Dio made famous, not you Mr. Gene Simmons.

Check out the video below of Dio talking about the now infamous backstory behind the gesture.  (Little did Dio's grandmother know she'd have such an influence on the metal community.)

We invite everyone to take to social media today and post a photo throwing horns in honor of Dio, if only to cut through all the "celebrity" drama that seems to flood news feeds every day.

That Metal Show | Ronnie James Dio On "Horns" Origins | VH1

American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter Ronnie James Dio talks about how his grandmother popularized the "metal horns" hand gesture within the culture. Subscribe to VH1: http://on.vh1.com/subscribe Shows + Pop Culture + Music + Celebrity. VH1: We complete you.

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.