Remembering Paul Di’Anno: A Heavy Metal Legacy
Well, folks, it’s queuing up to be one hell of a rock ‘n’ roll tribute. Paul Andrews, better known to you as Paul Di’Anno, the iconic frontman of Iron Maiden, has sadly departed to that great mosh pit in the sky at the ripe age of 66. That’s the same age when most of us start to ask, “What’s for dinner?” and “Can I still wear skinny jeans?” But this chap? He’s too busy riffing with the greats!
Born on 17 May 1958 in Chingford, East London, Paul’s throat was the Babel fish for the brand of heavy metal that turned heads and made necks break. Between 1978 and 1981, his voice graced the legendary debut Iron Maiden album and the equally headbanging Killers. If you have yet to hear those albums, let me tell you, you haven’t lived! They practically invented the phrase: “Turn it up to eleven!” — and, well, that’s why we have hearing aids these days!
But it wasn’t just about the past for Di’Anno. After his golden days with Maiden, he explored more paths than a confused cat in a garden maze. He formed bands like Battlezone and The Killers (no, not that one, mate!) and busied himself with solo projects, leading to various misadventures and narratives that read more like a rock ‘n’ roll soap opera than a career timeline. Still, the man kept rocking, even while parked in a wheelchair due to various health issues, because if you think heavy metal is going to stop with a couple of bad knees, you clearly haven’t been to enough concerts!
Health, Honesty, and a Dose of British Humor
Now, here’s the kicker—two months before his passing, the man showed off his classic British grit and sharp humor when discussing the state of healthcare in the UK. Paul had undergone major knee surgery and was less than pleased with the services back home. In what can only be described as the punchline of a dark British joke, he vented, “F*ck England, you’re done for, mate!” Now that’s a sentiment you don’t hear next to tea and crumpets!
“When I came back to the UK, I didn’t even get a massage or a bandage!”
Ah, the truth can sting, can’t it? But he’s quite the character – and who among us hasn’t had a funny encounter with the NHS, right? It’s practically a rite of passage!
A Nod to Fellow Metal Giants
In a little twist of fate that sounds like a plotline from a bad reality show, Paul even crossed paths with his successor in Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson. The two exchanged words in Croatia… but unfortunately for us gossip-hungry fans, Paul said their chat was private. Typical rock star maneuver if you ask me! But let’s face it, tensions between them were probably as exaggerated as my attempts to hit the high notes in the shower!
However, he did clarify that he and Bruce weren’t exactly wearing the haunting masks of animosity—“Everyone thinks we hated each other, which is bullshit.” Spoiler alert: Rock stars can get along! Who would have thought?
The End of an Era?
In a discussion from 2005, Paul openly admitted that Bruce was a better singer for the later Maiden albums, which just shows the man’s humility. “I feel like I could never really put my stamp on the records after Iron Maiden and Killers,” he mused. That’s like saying, “Sure, I’ll take the back seat, but I’ll still cover the first few tracks brilliantly!” Gent to his core!
“My sound is mega-aggressive and always will be!”
And isn’t that the spirit we all strive for? To continue making noise, regardless of the circumstances. That’s the metal life ethos, isn’t it? To turn the volume up, rock hard, and leave a little chaos behind. Paul Di’Anno lived it larger than life. So let’s remember the man, the legend, the one who brought the devil to the stage with a voice that could shake the very ground beneath us!
On behalf of his family, Conquest Music has confirmed the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di’Anno. The singer died at the age of 66 at his home in Salisbury.
Paul Andrews was born on 17 May 1958 in Chingford, East London. Between 1978 and 1981, he became known as the singer of the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album, It Iron Maidenen and the subsequent high impact Killersen – announced the Blabbermouth.
Since leaving the band, Paul Di’Anno has enjoyed a long and eventful career with Battlezone and the Killers, as well as numerous solo records and guest appearances. Despite being plagued by serious health issues in recent years, which forced him to perform in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain fans around the world, and as of 2023, he has well over 100 concerts under his belt.
His first album looking back on his career, a The Book of the Beast It was released in September 2024 and features highlights from his recordings since leaving Iron Maiden.
In December 2022, Di’Anno spent time in Split, Croatia, working on new, Warhorse record an album with your project called The band was founded earlier this year by Di’Anno and two guitarists/writers, Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante “Pupi” Pupacsics. The resulting LP was released in July 2024 Paul Di’Anno’s Warhorse under the name
“F*cked England”
Just two months ago, Di’Anno, who has performed in a wheelchair for most of the past decade due to serious health issues, spoke about the progress of his treatment two years after undergoing major knee surgery in Croatia. He told SDTV – Stonedead Festival:
He’s improving a hell of a lot (his condition – ed.). The only problem is, and I’m sad to say, that health care in my own country sucks. I’m totally broke. I go and get lymphedema which is like everything is full of fluid. Two hours with the medical staff in Croatia and the swelling has already gone down. When I came back to the UK I didn’t even get a massage or a bandage. Fuck England, you’re done for, mate
he said excitedly.
Paul also talked about the fact that he recently met the singer who replaced him in Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, in Croatia, who played his new solo album, The Mandrake Projecthe performed with his solo band on July 13 in Zagreb’s Hala Zagreb, where Di’Anno was undergoing treatment after knee surgery.
Paul said: “Our conversation was private so I won’t say any more. Everyone thinks we hated each other, which is bullshit. That’s the press. But obviously we knew each other when he was still in Samson and everything. So, yes, everything is fine.”
Asked if this was indeed the first time he and Bruce had met in person, as reported, Paul clarified: “No, because obviously we had met before he joined Maiden and everything.”
“That was the end of it”
In 2005, Classic Rock Revisited editor Jeb Wright asked Di’Anno about his earlier comment that Bruce was a better singer in Maiden than he was. To this he said:
Yes, I have admitted that Bruce is a better singer in Maiden than I am. I still think so, but only for the Maiden albums that came after my first two classic albums. I feel like I could never really put my stamp on the records after ‘Iron Maiden’ and ‘Killers’, because Bruce’s voice suits that material much better than my voice ever did.
“Regardless, though, I don’t really compare our voices to each other, as I feel that as much as I can’t sing Bruce-era Maiden songs, I definitely don’t have Bruce’s voice – and never did – to replace me on the first on two classic albums. My sound is mega-aggressive and always will be, and that’s what helped make the first two classic albums what they are,” Di’Anno explained.
In a 2022 interview with Greek magazine Rock Hard’s Sakis Fragos, Di’Anno discussed the circumstances of his departure from Maiden and whether it was true that it had something to do with his performance as a singer. He said: “My record speaks for itself. I’ve done more gigs than Iron Maiden have ever done… They do a lot of gigs, but I’ve played a hell of a lot.”
So it has nothing to do with my voice. He had nothing to do with it. I was just upset about certain things that were private to the band. And the way I treated them may not have been right, but that’s how I reacted. And that was the end of it. And that’s all I’ll say
the former singer concluded the question.
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