Wendy Dio Reflects on Ronnie James Dio’s Cancer Diagnosis And Final Days

Wendy Dio has opened up about the final years of Ronnie James Dio, sharing the moments that still sit heavy on her chest and the memories that continue to define his legacy.

Speaking with Billy Corgan on The Magnificent Others, Wendy retraced Ronnie’s rise, their life together, and the heart breaking road that led to his death from stomach cancer in 2010.

The conversation digs deep into the human side of a man who reshaped heavy metal. Wendy recalls meeting Ronnie at the Rainbow Bar & Grill, navigating the early years of Rainbow, and watching him step into Black Sabbath to replace Ozzy Osbourne, a move that could have crushed a lesser singer. Instead, Ronnie forged a new chapter, then pushed even further with Dio, delivering era defining tracks like ‘Holy Diver’ and ‘Rainbow In The Dark’. She and Corgan also revisit the origins of the devil horns, a gesture now welded into metal culture forever.

When Ronnie’s health began to deteriorate, the signs were subtle and tragically overlooked. “About five years before he passed away, [Ronnie] was complaining of indigestion,” Wendy said, explaining how doctors initially dismissed the symptoms. After a final run with Heaven & Hell and months of Ronnie quietly pushing through pain, everything changed. A routine blood test revealed the truth. “He’s got stage four cancer,” the doctor told her.

From that moment, Wendy fought to find him the best care, flying between Minneapolis, Houston, and back again. One doctor bluntly told Ronnie he had six months to live. Another, at MD Anderson, offered hope, not guarantees. Ronnie faced treatment with the same spirit that fuelled his music. “We used to skip down the halls, going, ‘We’re gonna kill the dragon,’” Wendy said. “We never, ever, either one [of us], thought that Ronnie was gonna die.”

After Ronnie passed, Wendy channelled her grief into action, founding the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, which has raised nearly $3 million for early detection research and education. Events like Bowl For Ronnie, returning November 13, 2025 continue to fund breakthroughs, including promising non invasive tests for cancers that often go undetected until it’s too late.

Ronnie’s death left a crater in heavy metal, but Wendy’s work ensures his voice, vision, and fight live on.