In the mid-80s, I would put on my Walkman, listen to music, and head to one of several local record stores, where I discovered Headbanger’s Ball on MTV. I would set the VCR to record the whole block, and the next morning I’d watch it all. I discovered so many bands this way, including Iron Maiden. Their album Seventh Son of a Seventh Son had just come out, and I needed to find a copy. After falling madly in love with it, I had to go back and get all their other albums.
What struck me was that the first two records, their self-titled 1980 album and Killers (1981), had a very different sound. The formula was there, but they had a harder edge. These albums featured a different lineup, including the vocalist. This wasn’t Bruce Dickinson; this was Paul Di’Anno, and his voice was fiercer, part metal, part punk, all power.
Di’Anno may have appeared on only those two Maiden albums, but his impact was felt around the world. When metal titans discuss their influences, they often mention Maiden, but they’re usually referring to those two albums. When I heard there was going to be a documentary about Paul Di’Anno and his struggles, I knew I needed to see it.
Thanks to Cleopatra Entertainment, Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is now available on Amazon on digital, DVD, and Blu-ray. As a longtime fan of the band, I knew this would be important. The band recently released Burning Ambition, a documentary about their five-decade-long career. Di’Anno sheds light on the band’s first chapter.
Di’Anno was Maiden’s vocalist from 1978 until 1981, during which time the band released two seminal albums. One year after his departure, the band, along with Bruce Dickinson, released The Number of the Beast, the album that would launch them to a whole new level. Di’Anno had his fair share of projects, but nothing really took off the way Maiden had.
He struggled with drugs, alcohol, and the law before facing very serious health issues that left him wheelchair-bound. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer examines his past, focusing mostly on how fans and friends would come together to help him receive proper medical treatment.
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It’s an uplifting tale of a community coming together to help a legend. However, there’s also a real sense of tragedy, as we lost Paul Di’Anno at age 66 on October 21, 2024, to aortic dissection. Director Wes Orshoski captures every aspect of his life during those final years, including the surgery he’d hoped would help him get out of his wheelchair and back on stage. The surgery is shown in graphic detail, which is fascinating.
There are some big names in the rock and metal scene who make appearances, including James Hetfield (Metallica), Gary Holt (Exodus), and Gene Simmons (Kiss), along with his family, friends, and former bandmates. We also see the moment when Di’Anno reunites with Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris for the first time in 40 years. It’s a compelling film from start to finish, allowing audiences to see many sides of his personality, including the good, the bad, and the vulnerable.
This documentary will appeal mostly to metal fans, and that’s quite understandable. Since I fall into that category, I have to say it’s quite the ride and a fitting tribute to one of the most influential metal vocalists of all time. The Blu-ray includes a couple of deleted scenes as bonus features to fill in a few gaps.
Paul Di’Anno may no longer be with us, but we know one thing for sure: he’s watching over us and “Running Free.”
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