Former IRON MAIDEN singer PAUL DI'ANNO spoke with Rob Cavuoto from Guitarinternational.com recently about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Rob Cavuoto: When Bruce left Maiden in 1999, were you a candidate to replace him?

Di’Anno: "Not in a million years, I would’ve done it for three or four million dollars, with half going to Unicef and half going to another charity. I don’t need the money. I make quite enough off my own records and the Maiden records. It’s never been about the money, it’s been about playing. Thanks to the fans my children have gone off to college, I owe them everything. Thanks for supporting my drug habit, taking care of my ex-wives [Laughing], my custom Harleys and my five clubs in Brazil."

Rob: Were you involved in the writing of Number Of The Beast?

Di’Anno: "I was, there is a very rare demo going around of me signing 'Run To The Hills' and 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'. I laid one of them down in Toronto but by then, I had lost all interest."

Rob: Do you talk to any members of Maiden?

Di’Anno: "Yeah, the problem is that we all live in other counties. When they came to Brazil, Stevie (Harris) and Bruce (Dickinson) were looking for me but I was out touring. It may happen where I join them on stage someday. That’s another bad press thing that says we all hate each other, it’s not true. I love Steve and Dave (Murray). Me, Steve, Dave and Clive (Burr) were like a gang and always in trouble. Anyone who slags off on Maiden I’ll punch them out. I quit the band because of all the ethics and politics. We all need to make money, but there’s making money and exploitation of money. That my only quip that I have about Maiden. I’m proud to be an ex-member of Iron Maiden."

Read the entire interview here.

(Photo by Rob Cavuoto)