The accolades keep coming for the late Ronnie James Dio, as the Syracuse Area Music Hall of Fame is the latest to pay homage to the rocker. Tonight (March 6), the singer's son Dan Padavona, will be on hand to accept the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his late father.

Dio grew up in Cortland, N.Y. before eventually moving away to further his musical pursuits in Los Angeles. The honor comes four years after Dio succumbed to stomach cancer.

Padavona admits he had a somewhat distant relationship with his father growing up as the singer and his mother split when he was four-years-old. He told Syracuse.com, "I was a rock fan and a huge fan of his music, especially Elf and Rainbow, but most of what I knew was from reading in magazines. It was very surreal."

But even with the distance, Padavona says he views the chance to accept the honor as a way to bring himself closer to the legend. "I hope it's a way to get closer to my father in his death than I did in his life," said Padavona. "I'm sure he'd be very happy that I'm up there with Rock [David Feinstein] and a few of his closest friends."

Dio's legacy has remained prominent in Cortland, where the singer grew up. There's currently a street named after the singer and the town holds "Dio Days" concerts in his honor. In 2004, Dio was also inducted into the Cortland High School Hall of Fame.

The honor comes during a month when the annual Ronnie James Dio Awards will be held in Los Angeles and in advance of a new Ronnie James Dio tribute album that features some of the top names in rock.

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