Singer died penniless and alone after being axed from | Music News

Former Iron Maiden frontman Paul Di’Anno died penniless and alone after being axed from the band due to escalating issues with alcohol and medication.

The English heavy metallic singer, whose real title was Paul Andrews, was the lead vocalist for the London group from 1978 to 1981.

Despite his enormous contribution to the band’s success with their first albums, Iron Maiden (1980) and eliminateers (1981), he was sacked at the age of 23 and signed away his royalty rights for just £50,000 ($67,150).

Paul, who was wheelchair-bound for the last 9 years of his life, handed away at the age of 66 at his home in Salisbury, England, on October 21, 2024.

While the official trigger of death hasn’t been widely publicized, the singer had gone through a period of in poor health health, including points following surgical procedures.

His death was announced by file label Conquest Records on behalf of his household, with the official X account of Iron Maiden saying, “We are all deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Paul Di’Anno earlier today.

“Paul’s contribution to Iron Maiden was immense and helped set us on the trail we’ve been travelling as a band for nearly 5 a long time.

“His pioneering presence as a frontman and vocalist, both on stage and on our first two albums, will be very fondly remembered not just by us, but by fans around the world.

“On behalf of the band, Rod and Andy, and the entire Iron Maiden crew, we prolong our deepest sympathies to Paul’s household and close pals. Rest in peace Paul.”

After leaving Iron Maiden, Paul’s life was very different from those of his former bandmates.

In 2011, he was jailed after being exposed as a benefit cheat by posting his music videos on YouTube.

At the time, he was sentenced to nine months in jail for swindling £45,000 ($60,450) in benefits.

Despite saying his time in jail had “finally” allowed him to “kind my life out,” the singer continued living in difficult circumstances and at some point he was forced to set up a crowd-funding concert with fans so he could pay for private medical treatment in Croatia for his leg condition.

Thanks to the fundraiser, he managed to get around £20,000 ($26,860) which also included a donation from Iron Maiden.

At the time of his death, Paul, who had been living in social housing with limited funds, had a low or non-existent net worth, which was linked to long-term illness, drug use and wild living in his earlier years, impacting his earnings.

After his death, a neighbor desribed the singer as “a actually beautiful man,” saying, “I bear in mind him telling me that he was a singer and had been in a enormous heavy metallic band and that he’d been actually well-known, but he said it had been some years in the past.

“He wasn’t brash or anything like that, very humble. I hadn’t realized until now just what a big star he was.”

Another local resident told Mail Online, “I haven’t long moved in and I didn’t know who he was really until today when I’ve read all the tributes to him.

“He welcomed me to the block which was a good gesture. It’s terrible to assume he handed away in that flat, he’ll be missed.”

The singer, who was married 5 instances, left behind six youngsters.