The original frontman of Iron Maiden, Paul Di’Anno has passed away at 66. His record label, Conquest Music confirmed his death in a statement shared via Facebook on Monday. The label revealed that Di’Anno died at his home in Salisbury, though the cause of death was not disclosed. “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.
“Conquest Music is proud to have had Paul Di’Anno in our artist family and ask his legion of fans to raise a glass in his memory,” the statement reads.
Iron Maiden also paid tribute to its former lead singer in an Instagram post, expressing gratitude for the time they shared with him and extended condolences to his family.
“We were very grateful to have had the chance to catch up a couple of years ago and to spend time with him once more. “On behalf of the band, Rod and Andy, and the whole Iron Maiden team, we extend our deepest sympathies to Paul’s family and close friends. Rest In Peace Paul,” the band wrote.
Born on May 17, 1958, in Chingford, East London, Di’Anno rose to fame as Iron Maiden’s lead singer from 1978 to 1981.
He was the voice behind their groundbreaking self-titled debut album ‘Iron Maiden’ and the follow-up ‘Killers’, which became influential in shaping the heavy metal genre.
He parted ways with the band in 1981, admitting that his lifestyle of “non-stop partying” had become unsustainable and unfair to both the band and its fans. He was succeeded by Bruce Dickinson.
In September 2024, Di’Anno released the ‘Book of the Beast’, a career retrospective album featuring highlights from his post-Iron Maiden recordings.
