### Iron Maiden's Original Voice, Paul Di'Anno, Dies at 66

Paul Di'Anno, the original lead vocalist of Iron Maiden, passed away at age 66, as confirmed by a statement from his record label on behalf of his family. Though his exact cause of death remains unreleased, Di'Anno had been contending with health issues for several years.

Di'Anno played a pivotal role in the early years of Iron Maiden, serving as the lead singer from 1978 to 1981. His voice is immortalized on the band's self-titled debut album and its influential follow-up, "Killers." Following his departure, he was succeeded by Bruce Dickinson, who has fronted the band ever since.

Post-Iron Maiden, Di'Anno continued his musical journey with bands like Battlezone and Killers, and also pursued a solo career. Despite his ongoing health struggles, he astonishingly performed over 100 concerts since 2023, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to music and his fans.

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

Paul Di'Anno's career extended beyond Iron Maiden's early days, flourishing with numerous solo releases and guest appearances. Even when health issues confined him to a wheelchair, his passion for performing never wavered. His first career retrospective album, "The Book of the Beast," was released in September 2024, highlighting his extensive body of work post-Iron Maiden.

Conquest Music expressed their pride in having Di'Anno within their artistic fold and urged fans to celebrate his memory. Di'Anno's legacy includes classic tracks like "Running Free," "Sanctuary," and "Twilight Zone/Wrathchild." Despite some rumored discord with Iron Maiden's founder Steve Harris and manager Rod Smallwood at the time of his exit, Di'Anno firmly refuted claims about dissatisfaction with his performances in later interviews.

Reflecting on his career, Di'Anno remarked to Rock Hard magazine in 2022, "I've played more shows than Iron Maiden have ever played... So it was nothing to do with my voice. I was just upset about certain things, which were private things in the band. And the way I dealt with them maybe was not right, but I dealt with them. And that's the end of it."