Paul Mario Day of Iron Maiden and Other British Heavy Metal Bands Has Died at 69

One of the original singers for Iron Maiden, who was with the band for less than a year, Paul Mario Day, has died. He was 69 years old. According to The Guardian, his band More shared the details of his death, and fans were shocked to learn the news. Many began asking what Paul Mario Day's cause of death was and if the singer had shared any information about an illness with his fan base before he died.

Per Billboard, Paul sang with Iron Maiden, the British heavy metal band, for less than a year during its early days on the scene. The outlet reported that Paul's exit came about because of his alleged lack of charm compared to the other bandmates. He went on to sing with other bands, including More, The Sweet, and Wildfire.

Andy Scott from The Sweet shared the news of Paul's death for the band's fans on the official Facebook page for the band. In the post, he wrote that Paul was a top choice for Sweet when the band needed a new singer in 1985. He also wrote that Paul "passed away peacefully at his home in Australia."

The Guardian reported that Paul died after a battle with cancer. Although it's unclear what kind of cancer Paul had or the details of his diagnosis, after the news of his death was released, fans and other heavy metal musicians shared social media posts about Paul and his impact on them. One person commented on The Sweet's Facebook post about Paul to share how the former Iron Maiden singer left a lasting impression on him.

"Just glad I got to speak to him a few weeks ago and thank him for some of the best times of my life," the fan commented. "We all knew it was coming, but I'm still feeling sick to my stomach."

Paul's time with Iron Maiden was brief. After 10 months with the band, he was replaced by Dennis Wilcock, per Parade. However, because of his continued success in music in general, he maintained a fan base for years after his Iron Maiden departure.

Prior to his death in July 2025, MetalTalk reported that Paul had been in hospice care due to his cancer diagnosis. Chop Pitman, the guitarist for the heavy metal band Airforce, told the outlet that, at the time in June 2025, Paul told him about the final song he wrote and recorded.

"Paul and I go way back," Chop told MetalTalk. "We were discussing his declining health. He mentioned to me that he had just recorded a new track, and it will be his final recording."

According to the outlet, the song, "Unwanted Guest," appears to be about Paul's wife, Cecily. Although Paul remained in the public eye because of his music, he and his wife maintained quite a bit of privacy. She was reportedly with the singer when he died.