Original Iron Maiden star Paul Mario Day has died aged 69, his band has announced today.

A statement was shared online by the band More, a group he was with following his time with Iron Maiden.

It penned: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the great MORE vocalist Paul Mario Day.

“Paul was a huge part of the [New Wave of British Heavy Metal] 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.

“Mike Freeland remembers him fondly as a ‘bloody great vocalist!.

“It’s an honour for us to continue to play his music and we will always think of him every time we hit the opening notes to ‘Warhead’.

“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! Thank you. Rock in peace Paul.”

Iron Maiden played a key role in a late-Seventies movement of NWOBHM, meaning the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Paul Mario Day was first recruited by bassist Steve Harris when Iron Maiden first formed back in 1975. Day was the band’s first ever singer, but stayed with the band for just a year before he was replaced by Dennis Wilcock.

Paul Di’Anno, the singer best known in the band, later took over from Wilcock and performed on the band’s first two records.

Speaking to Blabbermouth back in 2019, Day spoke about his Iron Maiden exit: “Steve was saying, ‘You’ve got to get better. You’ve got to be more in the audience’s face. You’ve got to be commanding. You’ve got to be a hero.’

“And I agreed with him, but I didn’t actually know how to make that happen.” he admitted, adding he was “gutted” by the decision, but acknowledged he learnt a big lesson.

The London-born singer added: “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.”

“I used that emotion, I guess, in my singing.”

Day never returned to Iron Maiden for any reunions with his former bandmates, and focused more on performing with More.

Iron Maiden has sold over 130 million copies of their albums worldwide, making them one of the most influential and revered heavy metal bands of all time.

The band has received four Grammy nominations and one win, and their releases have been certified Silver, Gold, and Platinum over 600 times worldwide.

Despite being London-born and raised, Day has lived in Australia since 1986.

His Iron Maiden bandmates are yet to comment on his passing.