Formed in 1982, this British outfit assembled around ex-Iron Maiden frontman Paul Di'Anno—born Paul Andrews on May 17, 1958, in Chingford, London, England—on vocals, alongside guitarists John Wiggins and Peter J. Ward (who also sang), keyboardist and vocalist Mark Venables, bassist and vocalist Kevin Browne, and drummer Mark Stuart. Initially operating as Lonewolf, the group spent its opening year on the road across Europe delivering American-style melodic AOR rock. By 1983 Lee Slater had taken over guitar duties from Wiggins, and the band inked a deal with FM Revolver, only to be compelled to adopt a new moniker after protests from another act already using the Lonewolf name. Their first release, Dianno, projected the image of an English ensemble striving to emulate an American sound, though it did feature an unexpected cover of Cliff Richard’s “Heart User.” Poor sales followed, and by year’s end the project had dissolved, freeing Paul Di’Anno to launch Paul Di’Anno’s Battlezone and later Killers. Paul Di’Anno died on October 21, 2024, at the age of 66.
