On November 18, 2009, Ronnie James Dio’s wife and manager, Wendy, announced (via Blabbermouth) that the European tour was canceled because her husband was hospitalized for what were then undisclosed reasons. Exactly one week later, she issued another, much grimmer update on her husband, confirming to fans that he was suffering from stomach cancer.

“Ronnie has been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer,” she wrote, per Ultimate Classic Rock. “We are starting treatment immediately at the Mayo Clinic. After he kills this dragon, Ronnie will be back onstage, where he belongs, doing what he loves best, performing for his fans. Long live rock ‘n’ roll, long live Ronnie James Dio. Thanks to all the friends and fans from all over the world that have sent well wishes. This has really helped to keep his spirit up.”

The next major update from Wendy Dio came in January 2010, as she revealed that Ronnie had suffered a few “hiccups” during the holidays and spent three days in the hospital due to blood clotting issues, as cited by Hard Rock Hideout. She did, however, add that “all [seemed] to be going well” at the time of that statement, as her husband was keeping busy in different ways. Aside from adding more chapters to his book and preparing for a DVD celebrating the 30th anniversary of Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell album, he had apparently made friends with a fellow cancer patient who also happened to be a Dio fan.

Less than a month after his appearance at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, Dio issued a statement on May 4, 2010, commenting on the cancellation of Heaven and Hell’s summer tour. As quoted by Sleaze Roxx, the frontman wrote that he was very disappointed by the “devastating” setback but still hopeful that he and his musical projects “will carry on and thrive” with the support of his fan base. “There will be other tours, more music, more life and much more magic,” he added.

Ten days after sharing that statement, Dio was hospitalized after he told his wife that he wasn’t feeling well. He went into a coma soon after, and on May 16, 2010, Ronnie James Dio was dead at 67.

In a March 2021 interview with U.K. digital radio station Planet Rock (via Blabbermouth), Wendy Dio recalled that she and her husband’s other loved ones were optimistic that he would eventually “[kill] the dragon” and successfully recover from his stomach cancer. This was especially true during the Revolver ceremony, where he was seemingly “doing fine.” However, it was during his final hospitalization — when Ronnie was supposedly in “extreme pain” and “agony” — that she realized he wasn’t going to make it.

Dio may no longer be with us, but his long-delayed memoir, Rainbow in the Dark: An Autobiography, will be posthumously released on July 27, 2021. Per Billboard, fans can also look forward to an upcoming documentary from BMG covering the late vocalist’s life and career, though details on that project’s release date still remain unclear.