The cause of death for Paul Di’Anno, the original singer of the legendary heavy metal band Iron Maiden, has been revealed.
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“Dear fans and friends, We have received permission from Paul’s family to bring you the news of Paul’s cause of death, after the results of the autopsy have been received,” began a post from Di’Anno’s official Facebook page on Monday.
Per the statement, Di’Anno’s sisters Cheryl and Michelle said their brother “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.”
The statement added: “Paul’s death was instantaneous and hopefully painless. May he rest in peace.”
The post also detailed a tribute show for Di’Anno that was held over the weekend.
“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.”
Di’Anno passed away last month at the age of 66.
Paul Di’Anno Faced Health Challenges in Recent Years
Paul Di’Anno served as the vocalist for Iron Maiden’s first two albums, Iron Maiden and Killers, released in 1980 and 1981, respectively. After leaving Iron Maiden, he recorded with bands such as Battlezone and Killers. He also released several solo albums and made many guest appearances throughout his career.
In the 2010s, the singer faced a series of health challenges, including knee surgery in 2014 that sometimes left him performing live shows from a wheelchair. He also encountered a cancer scare during this time.
“I collapsed at home after coming back from Argentina. A scan found a massive big black shadow on my lungs,” he told Classic Rock in 2022. “I thought I was on my way out, but it turned out to be non-malignant.”
“It was an abscess that was all infected and the size of a rugby ball. It turns out I’ve been living with this thing in me for the last few years,” Di’Anno added. “I suppose I’m pretty damn lucky, but the last six months have been hard.”
Di’Anno married five times and fathered six children.