RONNIE JAMES DIO Undergoes Third Chemo Treatment

Legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) was diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer and is currently receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic. His wife/manager Wendy Dio has issued the following update on Ronnie's condition:

"After a few hiccups between Christmas and New Year's, such as a blood clot, a trip to the emergency room, and a three-day stay at the hospital, we had a quiet holiday spent with family and close friends.

"Ronnie and I just returned from Houston, where Ronnie had his third chemo treatment, and all seems to be going well.

"Ronnie and Simon Wright [DIO/ex-AC/DC drummer] went to see 'Avatar', which [Ronnie] thought was amazing! He has also been writing more chapters for his book.

"While at M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre on his second trip, [Ronnie] met a DIO fan named Carmen who has been having treatment every other day for a year, and is eagerly awaiting a bone marrow transplant. Ronnie and Carmen have become fast friends.

"Carmen is a very positive happy person whose existence, like Ronnie's, depends heavily on music and sports.

"On the third trip, we also met his mom and sister, whose total support is so important to all cancer patients. They have become part of our family as well.

"The support we get from all of our friends and fans is such a blessing to Ronnie and I.

"Ronnie, [along with fellow HEAVEN & HELL members] Geezer [Butler], Tony [Iommi] and Vinny [Appice] will be doing some interviews in the upcoming weeks to be included in the new 30th anniversary BLACK SABBATH'Heaven And Hell' DVD, due out sometime this year.

"We would like to thank Simon Wright, who has been such a help with everything and a good, good friend, of course our doctor at MD Anderson, Dr. Ajani, and especially our family doctor, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, without whose quick diagnosis and help with all the nurses and hospitals, we would be lost. His care and compassion is unwavering.

"Thanks again to all of Ronnie's friends and fans, and — by the way — Ronnie has not lost any hair yet!"

According to a posting on the BLACK SABBATH fan site Black-Sabbath.com, fans can send get-well cards to Ronnie James Dio through the official fan club address:

Dio Fan Club
12400 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 624
Studio City, CA
91604

Additionally, if you'd like to send an email to Ronnie, you can do so via [email protected]. After a short time, Black-Sabbath.com webmaster Joe Siegler will print them out and pass them over to Ronnie and his wife/manager Wendy Dio.

Dio, 67, has performed with ELF, RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, and his own band DIO. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser "Hear 'n Aid". He is widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal, renowned for his consistently powerful voice and for popularizing the "devil's horns" hand gesture in metal culture. He is currently involved with HEAVEN & HELL, a project which also includes Iommi and other former BLACK SABBATH bandmates Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice. Their first studio album, "The Devil You Know", was released on April 28, 2009.