List of Iron Maiden Band Members - Former Members

Former Members

Paul Day

Active: 1975–1976

Instruments: vocals

Release contributions: none

Paul Day was the band's original lead vocalist, but was the first to leave the group because, according to Harris, "he didn't really have enough energy or charisma onstage."

Terry Rance

Active: 1975–1976

Instruments: guitars

Release contributions: none

As one of the band's original guitarists, Rance disagreed on Dave Murray's entrance in the band, taking it as a slight on his own ability. To allow Murray to join, Steve Harris temporarily disbanded Iron Maiden in December 1976 and reformed the group soon afterwards without Rance or Dave Sullivan, the band's other original guitarist.

Dave Sullivan

Active: 1975–1976

Instruments: guitars

Release contributions: none

According to Sullivan himself, he "wasn't too bothered" with the prospect of Dave Murray joining the group, as he understood that "the lead sound was a bit lacking." However, along with Rance, Sullivan was not invited to rejoin Iron Maiden when they temporarily disbanded in 1976.

Ron Matthews

Active: 1975–1977

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: none

The band's original drummer, Matthews states he was expelled from the band by their second vocalist, Dennis Wilcock.

Dennis Wilcock

Active: 1976–1978

Instruments: vocals

Release contributions: none

Wilcock replaced original vocalist Paul Day and was the first to introduce special effects to the band's stage show, including fake blood capsules (placed in his mouth as he'd run a sword across his lips) and face paint. Wilcock convinced Harris to sack most of the band, including Murray following a row they had after a show at the Bridgehouse pub, Canning Town in 1977. It was also claimed on The Early Days DVD that Wilcock disliked Murray's girlfriend. Eventually, Wilcock decided he'd had enough with the group and left to form his own band, "V1".

Bob Sawyer (later Rob Angelo)

Active: 1977

Instruments: guitars

Release contributions: none

Bob Sawyer (who would later go by the name of "Rob Angelo") would always try to upstage Murray, resulting in a confrontation with Harris (and expulsion from the group) after pretending to play guitar with his teeth when the audience could see that it was a trick.

Terry Wapram

Active: 1977–1978

Instruments: guitars

Release contributions: none

After Murray's dismissal from the group by Dennis Wilcock, Wapram was brought in as his replacement. Having only played in Iron Maiden as the sole guitarist, Wapram was sacked after expressing that he was not content with Dave Murray's reinstatement following Wilcock's departure.

Thunderstick (Barry Purkis)

Active: 1977

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: none

Thunderstick's stint in the band was left notoriously short, lasting just the one show at the Bridgehouse in 1977. According to Harris, he performed poorly throughout the gig, including a particularly bad solo, during which he shouted obscenities at the audience. Thunderstick would later claim that his bad performance was caused by a row with his wife.

Tony Moore

Active: 1977

Instruments: keyboards

Release contributions: none

With both Murray and Sawyer expelled from the band, Harris decided to try a keyboardist. After one show with Moore (the same played with Thunderstick on drums), Harris scrapped the idea.

Doug Sampson

Active: 1977–1979

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: The Soundhouse Tapes (1979 demo), BBC Archives (four songs from 1979)

Sampson first met Harris when they were both members of a band called Smiler in 1975. When Harris formed Iron Maiden in December, Sampson was invited to join but refused, deciding to leave music altogether, although he resumed drumming a short while later. In November 1977, Sampson attended the band's only show with Thunderstick and, after a conversation with Harris that evening, he agreed to join the group. Sampson remained with the band until they signed with EMI in 1979, after which he was dismissed on 22 December as he could not cope with band's touring schedule.

Paul Di'Anno

Active: 1978–1981

Instruments: vocals

Release contributions: all Iron Maiden releases from The Soundhouse Tapes (1979 demo) to Maiden Japan (1981 live)

Following the departure of Dennis Wilcock, the band spent the summer and autumn of 1978 rehearsing while searching for a new vocalist. It was when the group were attending a heavy rock night at the Red Lion pub in Leytonstone that a friend of Harris' told them of Di'Anno and his ability as a singer. A few weeks later, he auditioned for the band in November 1978 and was immediately hired. After participating on Iron Maiden's first two studio albums, Di'Anno was fired from the group for his increasing unreliability brought on by his drug and alcohol usage.

Paul Cairns (AKA "Mad Mac")

Active: 1979

Instruments: guitars

Release contributions: none

Paul Cairns (also known as "Mad Mac") was the first of three guitarists to briefly join Iron Maiden in 1979 to act as a second lead opposite Dave Murray. According to Doug Sampson, Cairns did not fit in the band properly and left after three months.

Paul Todd

Active: 1979

Instruments: guitars

Release contributions: none

Paul Todd joined the band but never performed with them live as, according to Harris, "his girlfriend wouldn't let him". Todd was only in the band for a week in June 1979.

Tony Parsons

Active: 1979

Instruments: guitars

Release contributions: BBC Archives (four songs from 1979)

Tony Parsons joined in September 1979 and stayed in the band for just over two months as he was reportedly unable to match Murray's ability, but did perform with the band on the BBC's Friday Rock Show (later included on the BBC Archives album). Parsons left just a few weeks before the band signed their contract with EMI in December 1979.

Dennis Stratton

Active: 1979–1980

Instruments: guitars and backing vocals

Release contributions: Iron Maiden (1980), Live!! +one (1980 live)

After Iron Maiden failed to hire Adrian Smith when they signed their deal with EMI in 1979, Stratton was asked to audition for the band as Harris was aware of his abilities from seeing him perform regularly with a band named RDB. It was during the recording of their debut studio album that Harris began noticing that Stratton's musical interests clashed with the rest of the band, culminating in an attempt to add extra vocal harmonies on the song "Phantom of the Opera", which Harris had removed. He was eventually dismissed from Iron Maiden following a supporting tour with Kiss, during which Stratton spent little time with the rest of the group, often choosing to travel with the road crew instead.

Clive Burr

Active: 1979–1982

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: all Iron Maiden releases from Iron Maiden (1980) to The Number of the Beast (1982)

Burr replaced previous drummer Doug Sampson on 26 December 1979 at the suggestion of Dennis Stratton. Burr was eventually fired from the band following their North American tour in 1982, during which his performance was affected by his offstage activities, culminating in one such incident when, according to Harris, Burr "spent most of the gig throwing up into a bucket at the side of his kit."

Blaze Bayley

Active: 1994–1999

Instruments: vocals

Release contributions: The X Factor (1995), The Best of the Beast (1996 - compilation, two new tracks), Virtual XI (1998)

After hearing him perform with his previous band, Wolfsbane, who supported Iron Maiden on their 1990 UK tour, Harris convinced Bayley to audition for the band in 1994. During his two world tours with Iron Maiden, Bayley suffered from vocal issues, which Janick Gers has since stated was partly the band's fault for forcing him to sing out of his natural vocal register, and was dismissed from the band in January 1999. Although the group were, at that point, negotiating Bruce Dickinson's return to Iron Maiden, Harris maintains that Bayley would still have been asked to leave the band if Dickinson had not rejoined.

• Paul Di'Anno

• Blaze Bayley

• Dennis Stratton