Paul Baloff

Paul Baloff (born April 25, 1960 – died February 2, 2002, Oakland, California, USA) was an American singer with Russian background, most notable for his time as frontman in thrash metal band Exodus. Paul joined the band at the invite of original guitarist Kirk Hammett, a friend of Paul's at the time, and performed on the band's debut album, "Bonded By Blood". Paul's energy and enthusiasm made him much admired by fans but the band struggled with his lack of rhythm, his inability to remember words, and his hard-partying lifestyle and he was fired from Exodus during the pre-production for their second album. Paul went on to form his own short-lived band, Piranha, and then did stints in Heathen and Hirax at the end of the 1980s, although he did not appear on any recordings by these bands other than demos. His replacement in Exodus was Steve Souza. When Exodus reunited in 1997, Paul, who had long remained popular with the fans, was invited back into the band. In 2002, however, Paul was struck down by a stroke. He ended up in a coma and was taken off of life support and died on February 2, 2002. Steve Souza once again stepped in to take Paul's place in the band.