Death and Confirmation
Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di’Anno, died at his home in Salisbury, England, at age 66. Conquest Music confirmed his death on behalf of his family.
Early Life and Iron Maiden Years
Born in Chingford, East London, on May 17, 1958, Di’Anno joined Iron Maiden in 1978. The band had already experienced several line-up changes with other singers and musicians before his arrival.
About joining the band, Di’Anno said: “Their old singer had this silly sword and fake blood dripping from his mouth and me and my mate were pissing ourselves laughing. But when we started playing together it just seemed to gel.”
He also noted: “The Maiden boys were lovely young people you could have introduced to your nan. She would have loved them. But if she’d met me, she’d have died of a heart attack within a minute… I brought them madness and an over-the-top aspect.”
Musical Contributions
Di’Anno performed as lead vocalist on:
Departure from Iron Maiden
According to the source, friction within the band, canceled gigs, and less than stellar live performances led to Di’Anno and the band parting ways in 1981. Bruce Dickinson replaced him.
In a 2020 Metal Hammer interview, Di’Anno stated: “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.”
Regarding substance use, he acknowledged: “It wasn’t just that I was snorting a bit of coke… I was just going for it non-stop, 24 hours a day, every day. I just couldn’t see my way to the end of it.”
Legacy in Metal
Di’Anno reflected on his impact: “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.”
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Post-Iron Maiden Career
- Performed with Battlezone
- Formed the band Killers
- Had a spell fronting Praying Mantis
- Released his first career retrospective album, “The Book of the Beast,” in September 2024
Legal History
- Imprisonment in the early 1990s for assaulting a girlfriend with a knife
- Charges related to drugs and firearms
- A nine-month jail sentence in 2011 for benefit fraud while continuing to perform live around the world
Health Challenges
Di’Anno experienced several health issues:
- Knee surgery in 2014 following an onstage accident and motorcycling
- Hospitalized in 2016 for medical issues that were undisclosed.
- A non-malignant lung abscess “the size of a rugby ball”
- Performed over 100 shows since 2023 while using a wheelchair
Iron Maiden’s Statement
The band stated: “Paul’s contribution to Iron Maiden was immense and helped set us on the path we have been travelling as a band for almost five decades. His pioneering presence as a frontman and vocalist, both on stage and on our first two albums, will be very fondly remembered not just by us, but by fans around the world.”
Final Statement
Conquest Music’s statement read: “Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023. 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.”
