9 Metal Stars We’ve Lost in 2024
There are several metal stars who have passed away this year, with their legacies remembered forever. Some of them have performed in legendary bands and others have built memorable careers. Moreover, they all have massive contributions to the genre all over the world.
It is always a sad moment when metal stars pass away but is also a way to celebrate what they have achieved. As the saying goes, no one is truly gone and these musicians are a prime example of that. When it comes to 2024, these are nine of the most prominent losses in this year thus far.
1. Paul Di’Anno (Iron Maiden)
The biggest loss was former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di’Anno. Although he was born and raised in England, he was of Brazilian and Italian nationality. From a young age, he was the singer of several bands until he met Steve Harris, who allowed him to audition to sing for Iron Maiden.
Di’Anno would ultimately get the job and be the singer of the band’s first two albums, the self-titled “Iron Maiden” and “Killers“. Di’Anno would remain from 1978 to 1981. He had his differences with Harris himself that led to his departure.
He would form a solo project called Di’Anno that would last a few years, and later with bands such as Battlezone, Gogmagog and Killers. The singer had health problems, of which only the knee problem was known, which led him to perform in a wheelchair. On October 21, 2024, at the age of 66, Paul Di’Anno passed away.
2. C.J. Snare (FireHouse)
The Washington native was another of the metal stars who passed away in 2024. Snare was one of the founding members of the hard rock and glam metal band FireHouse. He remained in the band until his death except for a period in 2023 where he had to undergo abdominal surgery. In addition to being the band’s singer, he was the keyboardist and the member who wrote the most lyrics in FireHouse. In 2020, he was diagnosed with colon cancer and finally on April 5, 2024, he passed away after a hard battle against the disease, at the age of 64.
Snare was a key part of the band’s success because of his range and singing. FireHouse was arguably one of the last new glam groups to have major hits in the early 90s. In fact, this band deserves a lot of credit for overcoming the grunge movement and still going strong. This included Snare making a major contribution thanks to his songwriting and singing abilities.
When it comes to the glam metal movement, C.J. Snare‘s loss was a major hit. The Christian metal band Stryper played a tribute for him, performing FireHouse‘s “All She Wrote“.
3. Jack Russell (Great White)
The Californian singer was greatly influenced by important metal stars such as Robert Plant and that is why he dedicated himself to singing. From a very young age, he was part of several bands until he met Mark Kendall and they formed a band called Dante Fox.
Shortly after, the band would be renamed Great White. Russell was the singer of Great White for most of the band’s history, however he had several hiatuses. During those periods, he tried his luck as a solo artist developing his own projects. In July 2024 he announced his retirement from music and on August 7 he would die from complications of LBD and muscular system atrophy.
Russell was one of the great glam metal voices in the 80s. He was oftentimes underrated and should have gotten a lot more attention during his lifetime. However, his contributions to Great White are going to be celebrated by its fandom for the foreseeable future.
4. James Kottak (Scorpions)
The iconic drummer of Scorpions also passed away this year. Since high school, he was part of several local bands until he achieved greater exposure by forming Kingdom Come. Kottak went through several bands such as Warrant or Wild Horses, and even went on tour with Dio.
In 1999 he joined Scorpions, with whom he would achieve a certain stability by remaining with the Germans until 2016, becoming the longest-lasting drummer in the band’s history. His departure from Scorpions was a dismissal due to his problems with alcohol. On January 9, 2024, he was found dead in his home at the age of 61 although the cause has not been made public.
Kottak was known for his dynamic drumming style and powerful live performances. He delivered amazing performances with the Scorpions, some of them being downright iconic. The metal genre is a bit poorer after his loss.
5. Wayne Kramer (MC5)
In 1963, in Detroit, where he was born, Kramer joined Fred Smith, Rob Tyner and Michael Davis to form MC5. In the American band, Kramer was the singer, guitarist and songwriter. He also developed as a producer on the side, and made music for the film and television industry. He had his own solo career as well as many collaborations over the years. On February 2, 2024, at the age of 75, he would die of pancreatic cancer.
6. Jon Wysocki (Staind)
Wysocki was one of the members of the band Staind who enjoyed much commercial success with their first 3 albums, Break the Cycle, 14 Shades of Grey and Chapter V, at the beginning of the new millennium. He would remain in Staind until 2011, which was Staind‘s most successful period.
The reason for his departure from the band was that he did not feel comfortable with the direction the band was taking. This is how he moved on to Soil and then Lydia’s Castle, his last project before he passed away. On May 18, 2024, at the age of 53, Wysocki died due to liver problems that he had been battling for a while.
Wysocki might be one of the most underrated metal stars in recent decades. Staind was a major musical outfit in the 2000s during the rise of alternative and nu metal. This proves how pivotal his contributions were to the band and deserves a lot more recognition.
7. Tony Clarkin (Magnum)
Tony Clarkin was the guitarist of Magnum, from the birth of the band until the musician’s death in 2024. Clarkin, in addition to being a founding member of Magnum, was in charge of writing the songs, in fact, until 2024, he was the band’s only songwriter.
Magnum had a non-definitive separation in 1995 and that led to the formation of Hard Rain, a band that Clarkin would form with his partner in Magnum, Bob Catley. The project would last 5 years, the same as Mangum‘s separation. Clarkin died on January 7, 2024, at the age of 77, due to a spinal condition.
To this very day, Magnum is one of the most underrated bands of all time. Catley‘s contributions with Avantasia helped spread the word about this great musical outfit. In that regard, Clarkin ranks as one of the most underrated metal stars as well. However, his contributions to the band is never going to be forgotten by his fans.
8. Vitalij Kuprij (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
Kuprij was a metal star with a slightly different story than usual. The keyboardist was born in Ukraine and trained as a musician in Kyiv. He moved to the United States on the recommendation of his teacher to continue his studies in the North American country. The Ukrainian had a good career in classical music until he joined the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 2009. In addition to being a keyboardist, Kuprij was a composer and music teacher. On February 20, 2024, he died at the age of 49 due to a cardiac arrest.
Kuprij is a prime example of how musicianship is a major aspect of the metal genre. There is a stigma outside of the metal community that this isn’t real music. However, Kuprij was a very accomplished musician. His contributions to Trans-Siberian Orchestra deserve a lot more contributions, especially considering this project’s major success. One of the most underrated metal stars.
9. Pinche Peach (Brujeria)
Ciriaco Quezada, better known as “Pinche Peach“, was the singer of Brujeria. This was an extreme metal and death metal band from California. Brujeria‘s lyrics deal with violence, drug trafficking, politics, and life on the Mexican border. In 1992, he joined the band where he was the only member who did not cover his face. The singer died on July 17, 2024, at the age of 57, due to heart problems.
This band’s legacy was heavily connected to Mexican culture and built a major niche with that demography. Moreover, this band has also started the careers of several musicians, such as Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares. Pinche Peach was a major factor in that success because of his role as a vocalist and his legacy will live on. One of the most important metal stars for the genre in Latin America.
