Ronnie James Dio's 'Rainbow In The Dark' autobiography gets release date

Ronnie James Dio's long-awaited memoir, Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography, will arrive on July 27.

Dio began writing the book more than a decade ago, but passed away from stomach cancer in 2010, before he could finish it.

In the year's since his death, Dio's widow and longtime manager, Wendy Dio, endeavored to complete what her late-husband started with the help of British music journalist Mick Wall.

Ronnie himself wrote extensively about his early life and career before his passing. The remainder of the book, dealing with his rock star years in Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, his solo career and beyond was largely comped from decades of interview transcripts. Wendy, who met Ronnie in the '70s, filled in the blanks from her own memories.

Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography is also illustrated throughout with rare and never-before-seen photos from family albums and personal archives. For pre-orders and more information, go here.

To celebrate the release of the book, Wendy has announced an hourlong LiveSigning.com event for Wednesday, July 28, at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Anyone who's pre-ordered the book through premierecollectibles.com/dio can submit a question for Wendy to answer.