Former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley has paid tribute to the band’s late, previous singer Paul Di’Anno.
Di’Anno, who sang for Maiden from 1978 to 1981, died in October at the age of 66. In the new issue of Metal Hammer, the metal legends’ frontman from 1994 to 1999 commends his singing ability, live performances and impact on the heavy music community at large.
“In our heavy metal world, he’s almost as important as Elvis Presley,” Bayley says of Di’Anno. He goes on to add: “That voice will always touch you, he had some kind of edge there. His attitude came over so well in his delivery, and his voice and melody matched the music so powerfully.”
Later, Bayley talks about Di’Anno’s recent performances on the live stage. “There were some nights, close your eyes and it was better than anything he’d ever recorded,” he says. “If he did a few nights in a row then he started to suffer a bit. But if you caught him after a couple of days off, oh man… he was incredible, just awesome.”
The same Hammer feature, written by journalist Chris Chantler, also includes tributes from former Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton and Lemmy director Wes Orshoski, who’s set to release a documentary about Di’Anno next year.
Stratton remembers, “He seemed a bit lost for words, he wasn’t coming forward [during live performances]. Then when we did the Judas Priest tour [in spring 1980], I saw him watching Rob Halford and picking things up, and he became more confident in his stage work. By the Kiss tour [the following autumn] he’d started to come out of himself and give it more bravado.”
Di’Anno sang on Maiden’s first two albums: their 1980 self-titled debut and followup Killers (1981). In November, his sisters Cheryl and Michelle revealed he died because of “a tear in the sac around the heart”, which caused his heart to stop.
Maiden bassist and co-founder Steve Harris paid tribute to the frontman shortly after his death, saying the pair had recently been in contact. “He will be missed by us all,” he wrote. “Rest in peace mate.”
Bruce Dickinson, who joined Maiden after Di’Anno’s dismissal, offered heartfelt words about the singer during an October concert in St Paul, Minnesota. He called Di’Anno “instrumental” in the band’s development and a “groundbreaking” figure. “[He had] an amazing voice,” he added. “Devoted to rock’n’roll right up till the last minute of his life.”
As well as the Di’Anno tribute, the new issue of Metal Hammer offers the essential breakdown of the year in metal. The magazine ranks the best metal albums of 2024, revisits Lzzy Hale’s stint fronting glam metal stars Skid Row, gets the inside story of Gojira’s show-stealing Olympic Games performance, and so much more. Order now and get your copy delivered directly to your doorstep.