OSBOURNE ENCOURAGED DIO IN CANCER BATTLE
OZZY OSBOURNE sent encouragement to RONNIE JAMES DIO immediately after le arning of his cancer battle - because it reminded him of the moment his w ife SHARON was diagnosed with the disease.
Osbourne, who Dio replaced in Black Sabbath in 1979, admits he was sad after learning the rocker had stomach cancer as the ordeal brought back m emories of his wife’s own struggle with colon cancer in 2002.
He says, "As soon as I heard he had been diagnosed with cancer, I sent him some encouragement. Having been through that situation myself with Sh aron when we were doing (reality TV show) The Osbournes, it’s always some body over there (distant).
"When it lands at your doorstep you’re like, ‘What do you do? How do yo u get round this?’ When Sharon got cancer, I’d never known anyone who sur vived. I thought it was bulls**t when they told you, ‘They can survive.’ I just thought they were trying to smooth me over. And she got over it." Sharon was ultimately given the all-clear, but the heavy metal legend s uccumbed to cancer on Sunday (16May10) - and Osbourne is hopeful Dio rece ived his well wishes before passing.
He adds, "I didn’t get a chance to see him but I was talking to the dru mmer Vinny (Appice), and I said, ‘Did he get my message?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he said. And I said, ‘Well, tell him to keep up the fight.’ Then on the weekend, we heard he had passed away, which is sad. He had a great voice.
"People thought that me and him were at war. At first, I suppose a bit of theatrics would be involved, but I mean it’s been 30 years." (PAW/WNWC
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