Former Iron Maiden Vocalist Blaze Bayley Says Former Iron Maiden Vocalist Paul Di’Anno Has Cancer

Update, 4:30 p.m.: Loudwire reports that “A text exchange between Paul Di’Anno and the Editor of The Metal Voice suggests that the former Iron Maiden singer is NOT battling cancer and that the findings were non malignant.” You can see a screencap of that text exchange here.

Shitty news: in a new interview with Chilean outfit HumoNegro, one former Iron Maiden vocalist reveals that another former Iron Maiden vocalist is now battling an unspecified type of cancer.

Asked about the recent cancellation of some tour dates the two were scheduled to undertake together, Blaze Bayley, who was in Maiden from 1994-1999, said of Paul Di’Anno, who was in Maiden from 1978-1981 (translated from Spanish):

“Yes, Paul is hospitalized right now. He has cancer and also has problems with his knees, so he’ll remain in the hospital for about four more months. He’s doing well, he has responded well to treatment and hopes things get better. We have done many shows together around the world, but not one in South America. But when his health improves, which could be in a year or something like that, we might [do the tour].”

On the one hand, Paul Di’Anno is a known schmuck… on the other hand, very few people in the world actually deserve cancer, and I don’t believe he’s one of those people. He deserves his spot in history as Iron Maiden’s first, if not exactly most beloved, frontman.

We’re sending out good thoughts to Di’Anno. Hopefully he’s back where he belongs, on stage refusing to singing opera, soon.

[via]