ORIGINAL IRON MAIDEN VOCALIST, PAUL DI'ANNO, HAS PASSED AWAY

via Metal Hammer:

Former Iron Maiden frontman Paul Di'Anno has died aged 66, it has been confirmed. The news was shared via Di'Anno's label, Conquest Music, on behalf of the singer's family.

"On behalf of his family, Conquest Music are sad to confirm the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di'Anno," a statement from the label reads. "Paul passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66.

Di'Anno joined Iron Maiden in 1978 after being invited to audition for the band - though he claimed years later he wasn't sure if he'd exactly be a perfect fit for the upcoming London heavy metallers.

"I went to see them play at the Cart And Horses in East London, and their old singer [Dennis Wilcock] had this silly sword and fake blood dripping from his mouth," he told Metal Hammer's Paul Brannigan in 2002. "Me and my mate were pissing ourselves laughing. When I got introduced to [Iron Maiden founder, bassist and lead songwriter] Steve Harris I couldn’t keep a straight face. And when he talked about me going for an audition I thought, ‘Bleeding hell, I don’t fancy prancing around with a sword.'"

Ultimately, Di'Anno got the job; his reckless, mischievous energy gave Maiden an extra dimension that only boosted their rise to the forefront of the explosive New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement. The hype around the band's live shows and debut EP, The Soundhouse Tapes, which dropped in November 1979, meant that come April 14 the following year, Iron Maiden's first album was one of the most anticipated releases in metal.

Their self-titled debut was a thrilling burst of galloping heavy metal thunder, sprinkled with subtle flourishes of Steve's Harris' beloved prog rock and underpinned by a production and rawness that owed more than a little to punk.

"If there was a punk element to Iron Maiden at that point it probably came from me – especially onstage,” Di'Anno told Metal Hammer in 2020. “There’s no denying it, those songs are bloody fast, though they also have some proggy time-changes in them. That’s what made us so unique."