Paul Di'Anno, the original Iron Maiden lead singer, has died at age 66 in his Salisbury home, as confirmed by Conquest Music via his family.

Di'Anno served as Iron Maiden's frontman from 1978 to 1981, lending his distinctive vocals to their self-titled debut album and the follow-up "Killers." His "reckless, mischievous energy" helped distinguish Iron Maiden during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era.

After leaving Iron Maiden due to struggles with addiction and creative differences with Steve Harris, Di'Anno maintained an active career spanning over four decades. He performed with bands including Battlezone and Killers, released several solo albums, and continued touring despite health issues that confined him to a wheelchair in recent years.

His final performance took place on August 30 at Hyde Park in Krakow, Poland. Shortly before his death, Di'Anno released "The Book of the Beast," a career retrospective album featuring highlights from his post-Iron Maiden recordings.

In his own words to Metal Hammer: "I don't blame them for getting rid of me. Obviously, the band was Steve's baby, but I wish I'd been able to contribute more. In the end, I couldn't give 100% to Maiden anymore and it wasn't fair to the band, the fans, or to myself."

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