Paul Mario Day, the original singer for legendary metal band Iron Maiden, has died at age 69. He was also the lead vocalist of the bands More, Wildfire, and an ’80s version of Sweet.
Day’s passing was reported by Sweet guitarist Andy Scott, who posted the following message on Facebook:
“Paul Mario Day RIP. In 1985, Mick Tucker and myself put together the first new line-up of Sweet after the hiatus of the original band. We needed a singer and when Paul arrived for the audition we looked no further. Our first dates were in Australia, total sell-outs which boded well for the future. Europe followed suit and 3 sold out nights at the Marquee in London produced a live album, video and DVD. ‘Live at the Marquee’ did well in various charts around the world and Paul’s vocal performance has stood the test of time.
PMD was the original singer with 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 and family and friends. A sad day for all Sweet fans.”
Day was part of Iron Maiden’s original lineup that formed in December 1975, also featuring bassist Steve Harris, guitarists Terry Rance and Dave Sullivan, and drummer Ron Matthews. However, the singer didn’t last a full year in the band, as he was dismissed in October 1976 due to lack of stage presence.
Related Video
In a 2019 interview with Power of Metal (per Blabbermouth), Day said of his dismissal, “What Steve was doing was trying to make the band big. He knew what he wanted. What he wanted is what he got. He got one of the biggest bands on the planet. As much as it hurt, as much as it upset me, I learnt a big lesson that day. I really did.”
Day went on to form the band More, and later joined Andy Scott’s version of Sweet in the mid ’80s.
The band More also mourned Day, writing on Facebook:
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the great MORE vocalist Paul Mario Day. Paul was a huge part of the NWOBHM from his time in an early version of Iron Maiden and of course his fantastic performance on the Warhead album. He was a well loved figure in British rock music and played many memorable shows not least the legendary 1981 Monsters of Rock show at Castle Donington with AC/DC, Whitesnake/David Coverdale, as well as tours with Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and many other legendary artists. … We send our deepest condolences to Paul’s family and friends and also the many fans around the world who love his music. Play his music loud and sing along!”
Our condolences go out to Paul Mario Day’s family, friends, and bandmates during this difficult time.
