Elf, was a Blues-rock band founded in 1967 in Cortland, New York, United States by singer and bassist Ronnie James Dio (Ronnie Padavona), keyboardist Doug Thaler, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarists Nick Pantas and David 'Rock' Feinstein (Dio's cousin). The band was orignially called The Electric Elves, but was shortened to The Elves, and finally Elf in 1969. In 1970 the band was involved in an automobile accident which claimed the life of Nick Pantas, whom the band decided not to replace.