Paul Di’Anno, former lead singer of the British metal band Iron Maiden, has died. According to The Guardian, the 66-year-old artist died at his home in Salisbury, southern England. The causes of his disappearance have not been communicated.
“We are all terribly sad,” the members of Iron Maiden wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, October 22, in the caption of a photo of Paul Di’Anno with Steve Harris, the group’s bassist and founder.
“He contributed enormously to Iron Maiden and helped set us on the path we have followed as a band for nearly five decades,” the statement continued. “His pioneering presence as a leader and singer, on stage and on our first two albums, will be a fond memory not only for us but for fans around the world.”
“Despite suffering serious health problems in recent years that forced him to perform in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, performing more than 100 concerts since 2023,” writes his label Conquest Music in a press release.
quick return
As reported by the BBC, Paul Di’Anno was born in Chingford, east London, in 1958. He joined Iron Maiden in 1978 after an audition. It was with him that the group recorded their first two albums, iron maiden (1980) and Assassins (1981). After a world tour to defend this second album, the group members thanked him and replaced him with Bruce Dickinson, current leader.
Paul Di’Anno admitted to having addiction problems at the time, again according to The Guardian: “I (used cocaine) non-stop, 24 hours a day, every day.” In addition, he spoke about his conflictive relationship with Steve Harris when he played in the group.
Imprisoned for violence against a partner
After his departure, Paul Di’Anno continued in music with different groups (Gogmagog, Killers, Battlezone…) but also as a soloist. He has suffered health problems in recent years: in 2015 he was hospitalized for eight months due to sepsis. In 2022, his fans raised funds to allow him to have knee surgery in Croatia. He also suffered from lymphedema.
The Guardian reports that Paul Di’Anno was locked up in the United States in the 1990s after attacking his girlfriend with a knife. He was also charged with misdemeanor firearms and drug offenses.
“What I regret most are those incidents of domestic violence in my past,” she said later.
Iron Maiden recently announced a world tour, Run For Your Lives Tour, to celebrate fifty years of activity. He will perform in France three times, two of them at the Paris La Défense Arena.
Source: BFM TV
