Bruce Dickinson almost left Iron Maiden due to health problems

The following year, he underwent seven intense weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to get rid of a cancerous tumor found on the back of his tongue. It was said to be the size of a “golf ball.” Fortunately, the cancer was detected at an early stage, and on May 15, 2015, doctors gave him a full recovery. He then began to rebuild his career.

In a new interview on the website Rich Roll In the podcast, Dickinson reflected on that difficult time and revealed that he was willing to leave Iron Maiden so they could find a replacement and move on with their career. He recalled: “When I had throat cancer, the last thing on my mind was, ‘Will I ever be able to sing again?’ The first thing on my mind is: “Will I be able to get through this and live?” And the last thing on my mind was: Will I ever sing again? And I thought, “Well, we’ll get to that stage when I’m done and start trying to sing.”

The frontman continued: “And I was quite willing to accept that I might not be able to sing with Iron Maiden anymore. Maybe I can sing, maybe I can sing differently, but if I can’t sing the way I have to sing with Iron Maiden, I’ll help them find a great musician. replacement. Because music is sacred.”

Iron Maiden released their latest album SenjutsuSeptember 3, 2021

Who did Bruce Dickinson replace in Iron Maiden?

As you know, Bruce Dickinson is not the first frontman of Iron Maiden. The band was founded in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris after he left his previous band Smiler. They made their debut in St. Nicks Hall, Poplar, 1 May next year with a short line-up that included vocalist Paul Day. However, he soon left because, according to Harris, he lacked “energy” and “charisma on stage.” He was replaced by Dennis Wilcock, who wore Kiss-style makeup and used fake blood during his performances.

In 1978, amid lineup changes and controversy over the band’s sound, Wilcock left to form his own group, V1. Fortunately for Iron Maiden, a chance meeting at the Red Lion pub in Leytonstone in November 1978 led to Paul Di’Anno successfully auditioning. He was the missing piece of the puzzle and had the edge they were looking for. Iron Maiden released their self-titled debut album in 1980 to huge success. It featured the early classic Phantom of the Opera.

However, in 1981, Di’Anno’s increasingly severe behavior due to drug use became too much to bear. He was fired after Killer world tour and the band has already chosen his replacement: former Samson frontman Bruce Dickinson. His first album with them was released in 1982. Number of the Beastwhich released the title track and “Run to the Hills”, kicking off a highly successful run. He played in the group until 1993, then left to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bailey before returning in 1999.

Di’Anno, who battled health problems for years that required him to use a wheelchair, passed away in October of this year. Iron Maiden wrote in tribute to their late frontman: “We are all deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Paul Di’Anno this morning. Paul’s contribution to Iron Maiden was enormous and helped set us on the path that we have been on as a band for almost five decades. His pioneering presence as frontman and vocalist both on stage and on our first two albums will be remembered not only by us, but by fans around the world.”

Related Topics