Ex-CLOVEN HOOF Singer Russ North Dies. North Auditioned for Iron Maiden When Dickinson Left Band in 1993

Ex-Singer of Cloven Hoof died on January 2 2025. No cause of death has been given. The statement was posted on social media by Cloven Hoof Bassist and founder Lee Andre Payne

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'Just had some tragic news, sadly Russ North has passed away. His fantastic vocals on "Dominator” and “A Sultans Ransom” will never be forgotten, and will always serve as a testimony to his vast singing talent. Condolences to his family in this sad time. God bless Russ, you were world class! Lee.'

Russ North also auditioned for Iron Maiden

North had several stints with Cloven Hoof, from 1987 to 1990 and again from 2006 to 2009. In 2011, he was asked back with the band only to leave for the final time in 2012 under bizarre circumstances.

Oh, I know the rumor, it's based on facts, that's Russ North. You know when we were tied up with legal problems, it stopped us for making music for like 8 years, just after A Sultan's Ransom. So, Russ sent in Sultan's Ransom album, and Iron Maiden gave him the audition. So, when they sent him like quite a few albums that he's gotta learn the tracks of it, he's went around and I am sort of coaching him through, readying him for this audition he's got. So, he turned up and the guy who met him was Dickie Bell, one of Maiden's sort of roadies or whatever he is, and he said "Don't be nervous, because we've had loads of famous people come for the Iron Maiden job, but they are really nervous". And Steve wanted him to understand what a big role it is and responsibility, and he said he wants people than can handle it, he says "So don't be nervous". So, Russ turns up for this audition, he did the first few numbers and Dave Murray looked like he was quite enjoying what Russ did, and they were just gonna do Number of the Beast, but they called it "Nommie". They went "Right, we're gonna do Nommie", and Russ went "Hold on a minute, I want me sandwiches". Hahaha, he made them stop the audition for him to have his sandwiches, and I went "Why on Earth did you do that for?" and he said "Well I just wanted to look like I wasn't nervous...". I went "Hahaha you've really blown that!", and he goes "Do you think so?" and I went "It doesn't matter what I think, have you? When you make ‘em stop halfway through the audition, what were you thinking of?". In the end, I wasn't at all surprised when Blaze got it, unlike Russ, he completely blew that one. But on the upside, Steve Harris did ring up Russ and say "Well Adrian Smith is looking for a singer for his project", so Adrian Smith sent his demo with no vocals on, so I wrote a melody line for Russ, and he kind of sent that off. But in the end, he wanted Russ to come down, but it was too far, he didn't want to commute from where he was in Manchester all the way to London, so he turned it down. He had done the Maiden one, but yeah that's funny. I could see how things would get kind of distorted, but that's what happened. Yeah, he did kind of blow it, I mean I have never heard anything so crazy, but he actually did that, I promise you hahahah. METAL BITES