Late rocker Ronnie James Dio was considering retiring on his 70th birthday, according to his former Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler.

The musician, who lost his battle with stomach cancer in 2010, would have marked the milestone on Tuesday and Butler reveals he was planning to make a big decision about his future on the landmark date.

In a post on his website, Butler writes, "July 10th, Ronnie should have been celebrating his 70th birthday, and probably would have been if he'd had his health checked regularly. I once asked him if he'd ever thought about retiring. He said he would make that decision on his 70th birthday. That is why today is so poignant. I think I know what his decision would have been."