Ronnie James Dio, the former Elf, Rainbow and Black Sabbath singer who often claimed credit for inventing metal’s chief hand gesture, the devil horns, has died at the age of 67, according to a statement from his wife and manager Wendy Dio. The Holy Diver mastermind revealed last fall that he’d been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer. Despite undergoing immediate treatment at the Mayo Clinic, Dio was unable to do what he swore he would: kill the dragon.
"Today my heart is broken," Wendy wrote in a message on Dio’s official website. She said Ronnie passed just before 8 a.m. today. "Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away. 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."
Source Rollingstone
