Former Iron Maiden singer dies aged 66: 'It's just so sad that he's gone'

Paul Di'Anno, the former lead singer of the legendary heavy metal band Iron Maiden, has died at the age of 66.

Di'Anno died Monday at his home in Salisbury, England, his family and record label said in a statement. A cause of death was not announced, but he reportedly had several health problems, including a weakened immune system after contracting sepsis nine years ago; After knee surgery in 2022, he gave more than 100 concerts in a wheelchair last year.

“Conquest Music is proud to have Paul Di'Anno in our family of artists and asks his fans to raise a glass to him,” his label said.

Di'Anno was best known as the early frontman and singer of Iron Maiden, which formed in England in late 1975 with bassist Steve Harris and guitarist Dave Murray. Di'Anno performed with the group from 1977 to 1981 and appeared on the band's first two albums, including Running Free and Sanctuary. (Before Di'Anno, fellow singers Paul Day and Dennis Wilcock briefly appeared in the band, but neither appeared on Iron Maiden's recorded works.)

“We are all deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Paul Di'Anno today,” Iron Maiden said in a statement on Monday. “Paul's contribution to Iron Maiden was immense and helped set us on the path we have been on as a band for almost five decades. His groundbreaking presence as a frontman and vocalist, both on stage and on our first two albums, will be fondly remembered not only by us but by fans around the world… We were very grateful to have had the chance to to catch up a few years ago and to spend time with him again.”

Iron Maiden's official Facebook page showed a picture of Di'Anno reuniting with Harris in 2022.

“It’s just so sad that he’s gone,” Harris added. “I only recently had contact with him when we wrote to each other about West Ham and its ups and downs. At least he was still performing until recently, being outside whenever he could was something that kept him going. We will all miss him. Rest in peace, buddy.”

Di'Anno, who was born Paul Andrews in 1958, was fired from Iron Maiden after their second album and replaced by Bruce Dickinson, who had been the band's lead singer for four decades. The hard rock/heavy metal group's hits include “Run for the Hills,” “The Trooper,” “2 Minutes to Midnight” and “The Number of the Beast.”

Di'Anno later performed in other bands including Gogmagog, Killers, Battlezone and Warhorse. In September, he released The Book of the Beast, a chronicle of his favorite songs he'd recorded since leaving Iron Maiden.

According to Blabbermouth, a documentary about Di'Anno is set to be released in 2025 by Wes Orshoski, who has previously directed films about Motörhead's Lemmy and punk rock band The Damned.

“As many know, I have been working on a documentary about Paul for several years as he struggles to get back on his feet – literally, emotionally and professionally. “It’s obviously pretty sad that it ended like this,” Orshoski wrote on Instagram. “The film will be released next year and details are yet to be announced. We hope it premieres at film festivals in early 2025. I'm really excited for the MAIDEN faithful to see him. Once it's released, you'll see how hard his life has been over the last decade and how hard he's fought to change it. Maybe he’s finally found some peace.”