Paul Di’Anno, early frontman for Iron Maiden, dies aged 66

Paul Di'Anno, the seasoned heavy metal singer renowned for his role as the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden during their formative years, has passed away at the age of 66.

His record label, Conquest Music, announced that he passed away at his home in Salisbury. They noted, “Although he faced serious health challenges in recent years that limited him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul kept entertaining his fans globally, having played more than 100 shows since 2023.”

Paul Andrews, who was born in Chingford, East London, to a British mother and a Brazilian father, became known as Di’Anno when he joined the early lineup of Iron Maiden. He secured his spot in the group after auditioning in November 1978, three years after bassist Steve Harris had established the band.

Iron Maiden had experienced the departure of two lead singers by the time Di’Anno joined, and at first, he wasn’t impressed. He recalled, “Their previous vocalist used to parade around with a ridiculous sword and fake blood running from his mouth, and my friend and I couldn’t help but laugh.” However, he noted that once they started playing together, everything clicked. In another conversation, he described the band members as wonderful young men who seemed like the kind of people you could confidently introduce to your grandmother; she would have adored them. But as for Di’Anno himself, he quipped that meeting him might have given her a heart attack right away, stating, “I introduced a sense of chaos and extravagance to the group.”

With a bold and gritty vocal style, Di’Anno delivered powerful performances on the band's self-titled debut album released in 1980, which climbed to No. 4 on the UK charts. He also contributed to their follow-up album, "Killers," released in 1981.

Di’Anno has openly acknowledged that he struggled with substance abuse. He mentioned, “It wasn’t just casually using some cocaine... I was doing it continuously, around the clock, every day.” He expressed that he felt lost in his situation. Additionally, he noted that there were conflicts between him and Harris. After the world tour for the Killers album, he was let go and replaced by Bruce Dickinson, who has taken on the role of lead singer for the band ever since, with the exception of most of the 1990s.

Iron Maiden has honored Di’Anno by stating, “Paul played a crucial role in Iron Maiden’s history and was instrumental in shaping the journey we've taken as a band for nearly fifty years. His groundbreaking role as a frontman and singer, both in live performances and on our initial two albums, will be cherished not only by us but also by fans globally.”

Di'Anno continued to pursue his musical career, starting with a solo project that bore his name, followed by a brief stint in the supergroup Gogmagog, which featured ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr and future guitarist Janick Gers. He then formed the band Battlezone, which achieved more success, putting out two studio albums in 1986 and 1987.

Di'Anno spent some time as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Praying Mantis before creating a new group called Killers, which went on to release two studio albums. He also worked with other bands such as Nomad and RockFellas.

In the early 1990s, he was imprisoned in the United States for attacking a girlfriend with a knife. He later expressed, "I deeply regret those incidents of domestic violence; I'm truly embarrassed by them. However, serving time in prison was what ultimately pushed me to get my life on track, so there was a silver lining to it." Additionally, he faced charges related to drugs and firearms, admitting: "I've spent some time in jail due to issues with guns and drugs." As a result of his actions, he was prohibited from touring in the US for several years.

He later suffered knee injuries due to an accident on stage and from motorcycle riding, which led him to start using a wheelchair. In 2011, he was sentenced to nine months in prison for benefit fraud after he told the Department for Work and Pensions that he couldn't work, even though he continued to perform live concerts globally. His lawyer remarked at the time, “He had an intense passion for music and performing. He is quite naive regarding business issues and lacks formal education.”

Di’Anno faced additional health challenges, having spent eight months in the hospital due to sepsis in 2015. Despite this, he kept doing live shows and recently announced his retirement from touring smaller venues. However, he mentioned that he's still interested in performing at festivals in 2025.