The family of former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno has disclosed the cause of his death following a recent autopsy.
Paul Di’Anno, who had been battling numerous health problems in recent years, passed away in October. His family has now provided clarity on the cause, with a statement posted on his official Facebook page on November 11th. According to the statement, Di’Anno’s sisters, Cheryl and Michelle, confirmed the details: “Basically he had a tear in the sac around the heart and blood has filled inside it from the main aorta artery and that has caused the heart to stop.” They added, “Paul’s death was instantaneous and hopefully painless. May he rest in peace.”
The message went on to share that a tribute event was held in Di’Anno’s honor at Underworld Camden. “This weekend, an In Memoriam show was held at Underworld Camden, where many of Paul’s fans, friends, colleagues, and family members came. With a magnificent musical set, his musical colleagues said a worthy farewell to their friend.”
As noted in the statement, the tribute show took place on November 7th, 2024, at Underworld Camden. Di’Anno had performed at this venue just a year earlier, in 2023, and had hoped to return before his passing. The event featured performances by Electric Gypsy, Gypsy’s Kiss, and Hi-On Maiden. These bands were scheduled to support Di’Anno on a potential upcoming tour that, unfortunately, never materialized.
Paul Di’Anno was known for singing on Iron Maiden’s first two iconic albums. In the wake of his death, tributes have poured in from his former bandmates. Both Steve Harris, the bassist of Iron Maiden, and current frontman Bruce Dickinson have honored Di’Anno’s legacy. Dickinson paid tribute to the late singer during an Iron Maiden performance in Minnesota just days after Di’Anno’s passing.
Throughout the last few years, Di’Anno faced significant health challenges, including two knee replacements resulting from injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents. These accidents left him in a wheelchair, and he eventually announced his retirement from touring in 2020, following his doctor’s advice.
Despite his departure from the spotlight, Di’Anno remained musically active and continued his passion for performing. After leaving Iron Maiden, he formed a new band called Warhorse, which allowed him to return to live performances. Warhorse released their debut album in July of this year.
A memorable moment came in the same month, when Di’Anno met Bruce Dickinson for the first time since his departure from Iron Maiden. The two crossed paths after a solo concert by Dickinson in Zagreb, Croatia, where Di’Anno was attending a promotional event for Warhorse’s new album.
