After a stroke

Iron Maiden drummer retires after 42 years

Nicko McBrain suffered a stroke in 2023. He had been playing drums for the band since 1982 and has now announced his (un)retirement.(Bild: AFP )

After 42 years, drummer Nicko McBrain is handing over the drumsticks to Iron Maiden. This evening's concert in the Brazilian city of São Paulo will be his last, according to the 72-year-old.

"After careful consideration, it is with both joy and sadness that I announce my decision to take a step back from the stress of an extensive touring life," McBrain was quoted as saying (see article below)

"However, I will remain an integral part of the Iron Maiden family and continue to work on various projects."

Nicko's announcement on the band's homepage in the original(Bild: ironmaiden.com)

He is therefore looking at collaborations with the band as well as personal projects. McBrain looks back on "an incredible 42-year journey" with the band.

He thanked his fans and his devoted wife Rebecca, who had made everything "so much easier" for him. He also thanked his children Justin and Nicholas, saying he loved his sons.

Nicko McBrain, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris and Janick Gers(Bild: 2005 Getty Images)

On drums since 1982
McBrain had been playing drums for the band since 1982. After the drummer suffered a stroke in early 2023, some songs sounded different so that he could continue to play. "I couldn't play for a long time because I was paralyzed on the right side," the trade magazine Rolling Stone quoted him as saying in the summer.

Nicko McBrain (r.) puts guitarist Janick Gers in a headlock for the cameras in 2009.(Bild: AFP)

Manager Rod Smallwood thanked the drummer on behalf of the band for his decades of service and announced that the group would soon be announcing a new drummer.