Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain Opens Up About Stroke and Fears of Never Playing Again

Although not one of the founding members of Iron Maiden, Nicko McBrain joined the band in 1982 and helped them release 14 studio albums and remains a member. While Iron Maiden holds numerous rewards thanks to Nicko’s contributions, the drummer found his life turned upside down after suffering a stroke and recalled the fear of never being able to perform again. 

Speaking with Metal Hammer magazine, Nicko discussed suffering a ministroke earlier in the year. “When it first happened I thought, ‘This is it, I’m not going to be able to play. I’ve got a tour coming up in three months’ time.’ I had a lot of time for reflection in the hospital.”

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Praising his wife for her love and support, Nicko added, “My wife was really my bastion of strength and encouragement and she was with me throughout. I did a lot of strength exercises, a lot of stretches with weird weights that they have and I got my stamina back.”

Nicko McBrain Hopes To Help Others

Besides his wife, fellow bandmates like Steve Harris rallied around the musicians, supporting his recovery. “Through all this period of time I was in touch with Steve, obviously all the guys, and I’d have a bit of a chat with them on the phone and they were all very, very encouraging, and none more so than Steve. He said, ‘Look, the most important thing is that you get well and work on getting yourself together.’”

Having shared his condition with fans, Nicko continues to see the positive in the situation, admitting, “If I can help one person as an example of my striving to get better then it’s worth doing, so it was kind of a double-barrelled thing for me to let the fans know and help someone say, ‘Well, if Nick can do it, I can do it. He had 13 weeks of recovery and he’s ended up doing a tour of Europe!’” 

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As for Iron Maiden, the band continues to travel the world after over 40 years of touring. With tickets selling fast, the band announced numerous shows in 2024.

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(Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images Getty Images for NAMM)