Former Iron Maiden lead singer Paul Di’Anno went away at 66 years old. For metal lovers all across, this is a great loss; therefore, we decided to honor him and his amazing legacy.
Paul Di’Anno’s Early Days with Iron Maiden
Let us thus dive right in. The first voice behind Iron Maiden’s first two legendary albums, Iron Maiden (1980) and Killers (1981), was Paul Di’Anno. He joined the band in 1978, although his stay with them was somewhat brief, he helped define the sound of heavy metal as we know it now. Those early Maiden records inspired bands like Metallica and Pantera, can you believe? Di’Anno has on the metal scene is such kind of influence.
The Breakup with Iron Maiden
But things weren’t always smooth sailing for Di’Anno. He had some serious friction with the band, which eventually led to his departure in 1981. He was replaced by Bruce Dickinson (who would go on to become the voice of Iron Maiden that most people recognize today). Di’Anno himself admitted in interviews that he couldn’t give 100% anymore, so the split made sense. Still, his contributions were monumental.
In a 2020 interview with Metal Hammer, Di’Anno was pretty candid about how he felt at the time. He didn’t hold any grudges. In fact, he said he was proud of those albums, especially when bands like Sepultura told him that those records were the reason they got into music. Imagine hearing that from some of the biggest names in metal!
Life After Iron Maiden
Now, after leaving Iron Maiden, Di’Anno didn’t fade into the background. He kept himself busy with other projects like Battlezone and Killers, as well as a string of solo work. Just last month, he even released a career retrospective album, The Book of the Beast, which looks back at everything he’s done since Maiden.
Health Struggles and Final Years
Unfortunately, the last decade hasn’t been easy for him. Among his several medical problems were knee surgery and even a cancer scare that left him wheelchair bound. Still, he persevered through more than 100 live events starting 2023. That’s right—Di’Anno never ceased delighting his followers, even with all the challenges.
Remembering Paul Di’Anno
His family and management asked supporters to raise a glass in his memory. And really, that seems like the ideal approach to respect him—a legend who helped produce some of the most recognizable metal sounds.
For now, everyone, that is it. Let us honor Paul Di’Anno for the great vocalist and performer he was. Paul rest in peace; thank you for the music. Drop your favorite Iron Maiden song with Di’Anno in the comments below to help us to preserve his memory.
