A brief and sad post today, as it was announced that Paul Di’Anno died earlier today. Paul was 66 and had been the first recording vocalist with Iron Maiden. He would see through the first two albums, then engage in a variety of solo and band projects after exiting Maiden in 1981.

Di’Anno had been dealing with injuries and illness for a long time, his recent appearances saw him in a wheelchair. Paul never would again rejoin Iron Maiden in any capacity, though he and Steve Harris had been met up awhile back and had been regularly communicating. Paul also met with his replacement Bruce Dickinson for the first time earlier this year, a meet-up that was reported to have been well-received by all parties.

Paul Di’Anno was a pretty rough and tumble guy – his antics would fuel Iron Maiden early on, giving them a bit of a punk edge. His same antics, often involving alcohol, would also see him leave the group. But Paul left quite the legacy in his work, both with Maiden and outside of it.

So it is a sad day in the Iron Maiden world. While other fanbases struggle a lot with members who were fired or quit, Maiden has keep a pretty even keel with its former members, especially in recent times. Paul’s works can be celebrated easily with no concerns over the perception of the other Iron Maiden material – everyone knows the first Bruce era represents the band’s classic works, but the first two albums are classics as well that were massively instrumental in shaping the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Rest easy Paul, and may the world always know your signature sneer.