RONNIE JAMES DIO Museum Is 'In The Works', Says WENDY DIO

Ronnie James Dio's widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio was asked in a new interview with Radio Forrest if she still has a lot of souvenirs from the late heavy metal singer that would be of interest to longtime fans. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have a lot of stuff that I've kept back for a museum. We're working on a museum right now. We're hoping to open a museum on Sunset Boulevard [in Los Angeles]. That's in the works."

Referencing the fact that Ronnie's estate in 2018 auctioned off items from the iconic musician, including rock and roll souvenirs, mementos and a few weird personal possessions, Wendy said: "I had a storage locker full of stuff — it was years and years and years of his stuff there — and I was, like, suddenly, 'What if I pass away? People will just chuck this stuff out. Let's just put it up for auction, sell it' and get the fans or whoever wanted it… Some people bought things. I don't know where it went. A lot of it went to different museums in different countries. But, obviously, I still have [a lot of stuff]. I would never part with the original artwork of [DIO's] 'Holy Diver' [album]; I have that hanging in my office. And a lot of the gold records I wouldn't part with. And then some of the awards he got and things, some of his stage clothes — those are things I kept. And obviously we'll put them in a museum one day."

Back in September 2018, Wendy teamed up with Julien's Auctions and offered 666 items from the rock icon's personal collection, including stage props, instruments used over the years, swords, medieval art and more. The auction took place at Hard Rock Cafe New York. Fans were able to score some unlikely items, including Dio's 1993 passport.

The first-ever career-spanning documentary on the life and times of Ronnie James Dio will be presented in more than 500 cinemas worldwide by Trafalgar Releasing and BMG for two days only on Wednesday, September 28 and Sunday, October 2. Executive-produced by Wendy and fully authorized by the artist's estate, "Dio: Dreamers Never Die" delves deep into the singer's incredible rise from a '50s doo-wop crooner to his early rock days in ELF and Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, to replacing Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH, and finally cementing his rock star status with his own band, DIO. The film incorporates never-before-seen footage and personal photos, as well as offering intimate scenes with his closest peers, family, and friends, among them Wendy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk and Jack Black, as they bring viewers inside the life of one of rock and roll's true heroes and one of the most beloved figures in rock.

Ronnie James Dio passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer, who was recording and touring with BLACK SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Dio's autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", was released in July 2021 via Permuted Press.