Paul Di'Anno, former Iron Maiden lead singer, dies at 66 in Salisbury

Former Iron Maiden lead singer Paul Di'Anno has died at 66 at his home in Salisbury.

Paul Di'Anno, the former lead singer of Iron Maiden, has passed away at the age of 66. A statement from his label on behalf of his family confirmed that Di'Anno died at his home in Salisbury, England.

Di'Anno gained fame between 1978 and 1981, contributing to the band's first two studio albums. (Instagram)

“On behalf of his family, Conquest Music are sad to confirm the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di'Anno. Paul passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66,” the statement read.

“Born in Chingford, East London, on 17th May 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English Heavy Metal band Iron Maiden, between 1978 and 1981.”

Paul Di'Anno's legacy

Di'Anno made a lasting impact as the frontman of Iron Maiden during the band’s early years. He was the vocalist on their first two studio albums, Iron Maiden and Killers, released in 1980 and 1981, respectively.

He joined Iron Maiden in 1978, after the band had experienced several line-up changes with different singers and musicians. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, friction within the band, cancelled gigs, and underwhelming live performances led to Di'Anno’s departure in 1981. He was replaced by Bruce Dickinson, who would go on to become the iconic frontman of Iron Maiden.

Di’Anno never blamed Iron Maiden ‘for getting rid of’ him

Reflecting on his exit, Di’Anno shared, “I don't blame them for getting rid of me. Obviously, the band was Steve's [Harris] baby, but I wish I'd been able to contribute more. After a while, that got me down. In the end, I couldn't give 100 percent to Maiden anymore, and it wasn't fair to the band, the fans or to myself,” with Metal Hammer in 2020.

“The two albums I made with the band were pivotal [to the metal genre]. Later on in my life, when I met Metallica, Pantera and Sepultura, and they told me that those albums were what got them into music, it made me incredibly proud.”

Following his time with Iron Maiden, Di'Anno continued with bands like Battlezone and Killers, as well as solo projects.

Conquest Music, which represented Di'Anno, said in a statement, “Conquest Music are proud to have had Paul Di'Anno in our artist family and ask his legion of fans to raise a glass in his memory”