Video: WENDY DIO Raises Money For Cancer Research With Help From METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN

December 3, 2012

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, founded in memory of the world-renowned voice of DIO, RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL, participated in the Icons & Idols-Rock 'N' Roll Auction this past Saturday, December 1 at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, California. Nearly 100 donated guitars signed by a variety of celebrities from the music world went on the auction block to benefit the Fund's mission of cancer prevention, research and education.

The collection includes guitars signed by the JONAS BROTHERS, Slash, Tom Morello, Tony Iommi and members of AEROSMITH, BON JOVI, DEF LEPPARD, the ALICE COOPER band, METALLICA and IRON MAIDEN. Among the rarities are a prototype electric guitar made for and signed by Eddie Van Halen and a custom hand-carved Ronnie James Dio memorial guitar created by DBZ Guitars. Also in the collection is an Epiphone electric guitar signed by a host of country music stars, among them Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney, an ESP acoustic electric guitar signed by "Twilight" film star Robert Pattinson and three guitars hand painted by the famous elephants of the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project in Thailand.

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund is a privately funded 501C3 charity organization which has already raised more than $600,000 in its short history. Monies raised have been committed to the cancer research work of the T.J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, AIDS and Leukemia Research and the gastric cancer research unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Ronnie was treated for gastric cancer during the last six months of his life.

Julien's Auctions, which specializes in entertainment memorabilia, is located at 9665 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 150, Beverly Hills, California 90210.

AOL's Noisecreep spoke exclusively with Ronnie's widow, Wendy Dio, and bassist Bjorn Englen from DIO DISCIPLES, an all-star metal band that tours to keep Ronnie's legacy and music alive. You can watch the footage below.

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