Paul Mario Day , the first vocalist of Iron Maiden , died last Tuesday, July 29th, at the age of 69, at his family home in Newcastle, Australia. The cause of death was not disclosed, although the musician had been battling an unspecified cancer.
The British band paid tribute to their original vocalist through a post on Instagram honoring him.
"We are deeply saddened by the death of Paul Mario Day, Iron Maiden's first vocalist in 1975. Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Paul's family and friends. Paul was a lovely person and a good companion. Rest in peace, Paul."
Known as the first vocalist of the iconic band Iron Maiden, Paul Mario Day played with the band from December 1975 to October 1976. According to Steve Harris , Paul wasn't up to the level the group was looking for. He had a great voice and sang very well, but lacked energy, charisma, and stage presence. As this didn't improve over the course of the shows, the band replaced him with Dennis Wilcock , and later, Paul Di'Anno .
The singer suggested in a social media post that he had co-written the track “Strange World,” but was never credited for his contributions [via Blabbermouth ].
In 2019, the original lineup reunited. Bassist Steve Harris, who formed the band at Christmas 1975, was joined by original vocalist Paul Mario Day and guitarists Dave Sullivan and Terry Rance . The only member who did not participate was drummer Ron “Rebel” Matthews.
The announcement of Paul Mario Day's death was made by his bandmate.
The English musician, who also played in the bands Sweet , More and Wildfire , was losing a battle against cancer and had only a few weeks left to live, according to the Iron Maiden Brasil .
Sweet's bandmate and guitarist, Andy Scott , announced the news via a Facebook :
“Paul Mario Day, rest in peace. In 1985, Mick Tucker and I put together the first new lineup of Sweet after the original band's hiatus. We needed a vocalist, and when Paul showed up for the audition, we looked no further. Our first shows were in Australia, with sold-out tickets, which was a good omen for the future. Europe followed suit, and three sold-out nights at the Marquee in London produced a live album, a video, and a DVD.”
'Live at the Marquee' achieved success on various charts around the world and Paul's vocal performance has stood the test of time. PMD was the original vocalist for Iron Maiden and had a stint with the band More before joining Sweet. He passed away peacefully at his home in Australia. My deepest condolences to his wife Cecily, family and friends. A sad day for all Sweet fans.
Andy.”
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