Paul Di’Anno – born Paul Andrews in Chingford, Essex, England on May 17, 1958 – was a heavy metal vocalist best known as the frontman for iconic rock band Iron Maiden between 1978 and 1981. He began singing for local rock bands as a teenager before successfully auditioning in 1978 for Iron Maiden, a new band formed by bassist / songwriter Steve Harris. Both Paul Di’Anno and Steve Harris began writing songs together and built up a following before releasing their debut EP, The Soundhouse Tapes (1979) which led to signing to EMI Records and the release of their self-titled album in 1980. Linked to the NOWBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) movement, Iron Maiden became one of the genre’s most popular bands. After the release of the Japanese-only Live!! +one EP (1980) and sophomore album Killers (1981), Paul Di’Anno was dismissed from Iron Maiden due to excessive drug use and erratic behavior. He returned to the hard rock / heavy metal scene in 1983 with his group Di’Anno, releasing their self-titled album in 1984. When that band split, he joined the short-lived supergroup Gogmagog, who released their I Will Be There EP in 1985. Paul Di’Anno then formed the band Battlezone in 1985, who released the albums Fighting Back (1986) and Children of Madness (1987), along with the Warchild compilation (1988) before splitting up in 1989. After a short stint fronting NWOBHM band Praying Mantis for a Japanese tour, Paul Di’Anno formed the band Killers, who were also known as Paul Di’Anno & Killers and Paul Di’Anno’s Killers. The group released two studio albums – Murder One (1992) and Menace to Society (1994) and several live albums before splitting up in 1997. Nearly 20 years after he made his debut with Iron Maiden, Paul Di’Anno released his debut solo album, The World’s First Iron Man, in 1997. As a solo artist, he released a series of compilations and live albums while also briefly reuniting with Battlezone and working with other metal artists including The Almighty Inbredz, Architect of Chaoz, and Dennis Stratton. While he continued to record and tour since his days with Iron Maiden, he never achieved great commercial success with any of these projects. Because of his lifestyle, he suffered many health issues throughout his life which led to him performing in a wheelchair towards the end of his life. Paul Di’Anno died on October 21, 2024, at the age of 66.
