Thanksgiving has gone by once again, but this year metal fans were given a timely reminder to count their blessings. Ronnie James Dio, the seemingly unstoppable voice of a genre, announced his diagnosis with stomach cancer on Wednesday. Fortunately it appears that the disease was caught in its early stages, and his wife had this comment to make: “Ronnie has been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer. We are starting treatment immediately at the Mayo Clinic. After he kills this dragon, Ronnie will be back on stage, where he belongs, doing what he loves best, performing for his fans.” The former Black Sabbath frontman spent last summer touring with former Sabbath bandmates as Heaven & Hell in support of a new album titled The Devil You Know. Fans can visit RonnieJamesDio.com to send well-wishes and keep up to date with the singer.

In other rock news,

• Thunder Mountain Rockfest continues to pile on more bands to its already impressive lineup. Blues rockers Great White and glam revival act The Sweet are the latest announcements for the festival, set to take place July 8, 9, and 10 in Sawyer, North Dakota. Visit RockDakota.com to get your tickets; other bands already signed include Night Ranger, Survivor, and KIX.
• A South American leg of the Chinese Democracy World Tour is in the works for Guns N’ Roses. The band is currently gearing up for several December shows in Asia before embarking on an extended 13-date tour of Canada on January 13. The South American tour will take place between March 10 and April 10, with a schedule yet to be released.
• The Sweden Rock Festival has booked Rick Springfield, Anvil, along with Bachman & Turner for its 2010 attraction. 2009 saw over 35,000 attendees, but next year that number will be capped at 33,000.