Iron Maiden has shared a statement mourning the death of the band’s original singer, Paul Mario Day.
“We are deeply saddened that Paul Mario Day, Iron Maiden’s first ever vocalist back in 1975, has passed away,” the metal icons write in a Facebook post. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to Paul’s family and friends.”
“Paul was a lovely person and good mate,” the post continues. “Rest in peace Paul.”
Day was in Maiden for a year before being replaced by Dennis Wilcock, who was then replaced by Paul Di’Anno. Current Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson joined in 1981.
Day’s death was announced Tuesday by the band Sweet, with whom he played for a stint in the ’80s.
When Dead & Company perform their three headline shows in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Grateful Dead, fans on-site will get the first chance to sample two new anniversary-edition wines from the band’s collaboration with Gnarly Head wines.
The Old Vine Zinfadel and Cabernet Sauvignon wines will be available nationwide in August in commemorative bottles featuring a special label design incorporating the Dead’s 60th anniversary logo in holographic foil.
Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux says in a statement, “For 60 years, the Grateful Dead has brought people together through music, community, and shared experiences—and that spirit lives on in this special collaboration with Gnarly Head wines.”
“These Anniversary-Edition wines capture the energy, creativity, and individuality that have defined the Dead for six decades, and fans now have a new way to celebrate the music and memories made along the way.”
The wines cost around $12 per bottle. Visit gnarlyhead.com for more information.
Family and fans of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne gathered in his hometown of Birmingham, England, on Wednesday to say a final farewell.
The hearse carrying Ozzy, who died July 22 at the age of 76, traveled through the main streets of Birmingham with a view of the Black Sabbath frontman’s coffin covered in purple flowers.
The funeral procession made a stop at the city’s Black Sabbath bridge and bench, where a memorial for Ozzy grew in the week after his death.
Ozzy’s family members — led by his wife, Sharon Osbourne — got out at the bridge to view the memorial.
Sharon and her children Jack Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne and Aimee Osbourne were seen waving and giving peace signs to the thousands of fans gathered to pay tribute.
In addition to his three children with Sharon, Ozzy was also the father of three children from his first marriage: Louis Osbourne, Jessica Osbourne and Elliot Kingsley.
He was a grandfather of 10 at the time of his death.
Ozzy’s death came just over two weeks after he performed his final show in Birmingham alongside his original Black Sabbath bandmates at the Back to the Beginning benefit concert.
Elton John‘s birthday is in March, but on Tuesday he marked a milestone birthday of another sort.
“Grateful for all the love on my sobriety birthday,” the Rocket Man wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of cards, drawings and flowers. July 29 marked his 35th year of sobriety. One card in the photo reads, “Happy 35th Birthday! We are so proud of you!” It’s signed by Elton’s husband, DavidFurnish, and their sons.
Another card says, “Congratulations on 35 years! We are immensely proud of you and wish you a lovely birthday today.” It’s signed “Your Rocket Family.” Rocket Entertainment is the name of Elton’s company.
Elton has been open about his substance abuse and other addictions in multiple interviews, as well as in his autobiography, Me. He sought help, joining Alcoholics Anonymous and going to rehab, finally getting clean in 1990. In his book, he estimated he’d attended some 1,400 support group meetings. He’s gone on to help other celebrities get sober, including Eminem and Donatella Versace.
Queen bass player John Deacon dropped out of the spotlight after he retired in 1997, but he’s now reemerged to take part in a charity auction coming up in September.
The Official Freddie Mercury Birthday Party, an annual charity event organized by the Mercury Phoenix Trust, is taking place Sept. 6 in Montreux, Switzerland. A silent auction will be held for a copy of the band’s classic album A Night at the Opera, signed by Deacon, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. The money raised will go toward HIV/AIDS awareness.
According to the Mercury Phoenix Trust website, you don’t have to attend the party to enter a bid, but you do have to physically submit it at the Montreux Casino, where Queen’s Mountain Studios were formerly located and where the party is being held.
As per NME, this is the first time that Deacon has signed memorabilia since 1997.
In 2023, May told The Guardian that despite his retirement, Deacon was “still very much a part of Queen.”
“If we have any major decision, business wise, it’s always run past John,” May said.
During Metallica‘s 2025 M72 tour, the band teamed up with the American Red Cross to set up blood drives around cities on the itinerary. Now, the metal legends are expanding the initiative nationwide with the Give Where You Live campaign.
If you sign up to participate in any Red Cross blood drive in the U.S. now through Feb. 28, 2026, you’ll receive a limited-edition Red Cross-themed Metallica T-shirt, while supplies last. You’ll also be automatically entered to win an ESP Snakebyte guitar featuring exclusive artwork and autographs by each Metallica band member.
“Throughout the U.S. run of M72 shows, fans donated more than 2,000 units of blood and platelets!” Metallica says. “Each blood donation can help save more than one life; the Metallica Family is giving back and saving lives!”
Former Traffic star Steve Winwood topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Roll With It,” the title track from his fifth studio album.
The track spent four weeks in the top spot and was one of two #1 hits Winwood would have during his solo career. The other was “Higher Love,” which topped the chart in August 1986.
While Winwood wrote “Roll With It” with Will Jennings, the performing rights organization BMI later gave the Motown songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland – Lamont Dozier and brothers BrianHolland and Eddie Holland – credit, due to the song’s similarity to “(I’m a) Roadrunner,” which they wrote for Junior Walker.
“Roll With It” went on to earn Grammy nominations for record of the year and best male pop vocal performance. The album was also nominated for album of the year.
Grahame Lesh is hosting a three-night concert series, The Heart of Town, to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead.
Lesh’s shows, taking place July 31-Aug. 2 at San Francisco’s Pier 48, coincide with Dead & Company’s three-night stand at Golden Gate Park Aug. 1-3. Lesh tells ABC Audio the weekend is about celebrating more than just the band’s music.
“The Grateful Dead is so all-encompassing,” Lesh, son of the late Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, says. “I think every aspect of the weekend is going to celebrate some aspect of the band.”
He adds, “It’s just become this whole Bay Area wide celebration of the band, of the music, of the community and, you know, of the area honestly, of the city itself.”
Artists on board to celebrate The Dead’s legacy include TaylorGoldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes, John Medeski and Duane Betts, with Lesh noting it wasn’t hard to find artists who’ve been influenced by The Dead.
“That sort of like just opens up this whole world of people who love to play this music or love to play adjacent music or any sort of thing like that,” he says.
Lesh says his main goal with The Heart of Town is to put on a great show, but he hopes fans leave grasping the “breadth and the depth” of the Grateful Dead’s music and its community.
And when it comes to the set, fans may be in for some surprises.
“I’m planning to play some Dead songs that I’m sure Dead & Co. is not going to do,” Lesh says. “There’s so much … they couldn’t get it all in to three nights either.”
The Heart of the Town is presented by San Francisco Giants and Relix, and produced by Terrapin Station Entertainment and Dayglo Presents. More info can be found at mlb.com.
Following his exit from Pearl Jam, drummer Matt Cameron is getting back onstage.
Cameron has announced a show with his side project Is This Real?, which began as a tribute to the band Wipers. The concert takes place Sept. 13 at the Seattle venue The Triple Door.
The bill also includes Hiro Yamamoto, who previously played with Cameron as the original bassist for Soundgarden.
Cameron announced earlier in July that he’d left Pearl Jam after 27 years playing with Eddie Vedder and company. He later clarified that, despite the Pearl Jam departure, he’s “still an active musician.”
Both Cameron and Yamamoto will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as members of Soundgarden in November.
British singer Paul Mario Day, who was the original lead singer for Iron Maiden, has passed away at the age of 69.
Day’s death was revealed in a tribute posted on the Facebook page of British glam band Sweet, which Day joined in 1985. According to the post, Day “passed away peacefully at his home in Australia.”
“IN 1985 Mick Tucker and myself put together the first new line-up of Sweet after the hiatus of the original band,” Sweet guitarist Andy Scott writes. “We needed a singer and when Paul arrived for the audition we looked no further.”
Day toured Australia and Europe with Sweet, and appeared on the band’s 1989 live album and DVD Live at the Marquee, with Scott noting Day’s vocals have “stood the test of time.”
Day was the lead singer of Iron Maiden from December 1975 to October 1976 before he was replaced by Dennis Wilcock. He went on to form the British heavy metal band More, before joining Sweet.
