Rumors of the death of Ronnie James Dio, 67, had been circulating - and denied by Dio's wife on Twitter - before finally being confirmed on Dio's website.
The legendary rock vocalist battled stomach cancer, losing his fight at 7:45 a.m. on May 16th according to a statement by Wendy Dio. Just hours earlier, Wendy Dio posted on Dio's Twitter account "Don't believe the rumors, Ronnie is still hanging in there!!!"
Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne as the lead vocalist for Black Sabbath in the late 1970's. He left Sabbath in 1982 and formed his own band, aptly named Dio. The band continued to perform together until Dio's diagnosis with stomach cancer.
Visitors to Dio's website at www.RonnieJamesDio.com are greeted with a black screen that contains only these words from his wife, Wendy.
"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."
Fans are being directed to Dio's Facebook page to leave their condolences.
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