Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson recently weighed in on Bruce Dickinson’s meeting with former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di’Anno before his passing. He shared his perspective on the David Ellefson Show.
Ellefson addressed the moment between Dickinson and Di’Anno, which some had perceived as awkward. He defended Dickinson’s sincerity and reflected on the emotional weight of being present near the end of someone’s life.
“I will say my view of it was Bruce Dickinson did that, it seemed very genuine,” Ellefson said. “When someone dies, it sort of levels the playing field of everything.”
Ellefson went on to elaborate on what he felt that kind of moment strips away between people.
“Any resentment, any fear, any should have, could have, would have, because in that moment, that is just such a real moment, man,” he continued. “You know, the spirit has left the body and there that is it. I mean, that is the end of the story right there.”
He also touched on the unique challenge Dickinson faced as Di’Anno’s successor in Iron Maiden, acknowledging the difficulty of following such a distinctive vocalist.
“And I felt his again, he’s the successor. He got to have all of the success yet at the same time he had to go back and sing Paul’s songs, you know,” Ellefson said. “And you know, when I would hear Bruce sing the piano stuff, it made me miss Paul because how do you sing Paul’s stuff? He was such an original artist, such an original singer. No one sang like him.”
Ellefson’s comments come in the context of a meeting that carried significant weight for the heavy metal world. It brought together two singers whose careers had long been defined in relation to each other, even if they had rarely crossed paths in person.
The meeting between Dickinson and Di’Anno took place on July 13, 2024, in Zagreb, Croatia. Di’Anno was in the city receiving treatment following knee surgery, while Dickinson was there for a solo concert. The two met for the first time in person after nearly half a century. They exchanged a friendly conversation and a hug in an encounter that was captured on camera and later shared online.
Despite a long-standing narrative of rivalry between the two singers, Di’Anno himself had clarified that there was no real animosity between them. He described the relationship as far more complicated than the “hated each other” story that had been repeated in the press over the years.
Paul Di’Anno passed away on October 21, 2024, at the age of 66, following a long period of declining health. His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the rock and metal community. Many highlighted his raw, punk-infused vocal style as a defining element of Iron Maiden’s early identity.
Dickinson had previously spoken about Di’Anno’s vocal abilities with a mix of candor and respect. He noted that while Di’Anno had limited range, his originality and impact on the band’s formative years were undeniable. That perspective made the Zagreb meeting all the more meaningful — a rare moment of genuine human connection between two figures whose legacies had been intertwined for decades.
