Ronnie James Dio's widow broke down in tears when she discovered her late husband's Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi was battling cancer.

The guitarist announced he had been diagnosed with the disease earlier this year (12), and Wendy Dio admits she was devastated by the news, which came two years after her partner lost his battle with stomach cancer.

Wendy is sending Iommi messages of support to his home in the U.K., and she hopes they are giving him a boost.

Speaking on America's The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show, Wendy says of the moment she heard about the rocker's health woes, "I cried", before adding: "He's just a wonderful person. He was a very, very good friend of Ronnie's. He lives in England and I live here. But I saw him a few weeks ago and I sent him lots of encouragement and letters and things."