Iron Maiden has paid tribute to their original frontman, Paul Mario Day, who passed away at his family home in Newcastle, Australia, on July 29, at the age of 69.
Day was part of the first Iron Maiden lineup assembled by Steve Harris in December 1975 and fronted the band for around 10 months before being replaced by Dennis Wilcock in October 1976.
Wilcock, in turn, quit the band in the spring of 1978, with Paul Di’Anno taking over frontman duties in November that year.
In a statement, Iron Maiden expressed their condolences, saying, “We are deeply saddened that Paul Mario Day, Iron Maiden’s first-ever vocalist back in 1975, has passed away.
Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to Paul’s family and friends.
Paul was a lovely person and good mate.
Rest in peace Paul.”
Following his exit from Iron Maiden, Day went on to form the band More, which toured the UK as support to Iron Maiden when Steve Harris’ band was promoting their second record, Killers, in 1981.
He later joined glam rockers Sweet in the mid-’80s, and also had a stint with the band Wildfire.
Guitarist Andy Scott of Sweet described Day’s passing as “a sad day for all Sweet fans,” and recalled that Day was chosen as the singer for the band’s new lineup in 1985 after auditioning for the role.
A call to action: Fans are invited to share their memories and condolences on Iron Maiden’s social media pages.