Bio

Paul Bruce Dickinson was "born in a mining town in '58", and from those humble beginnings became one of the most renowned singers in music. He joined the British metal band Iron Maiden in 1981, and quickly made a name for himself due to his terrific vocal range. His ability to hit high notes with ease and an incredible usage of vibrato earned him the nickname "The Air Raid Siren", and he recorded seven albums with Maiden from '82 to '92. Those were ten years of extensive live tours and a great deal of work, and by 1992, he had become tired of it all. He turned in his badge after a farewell tour and left the Maiden ship to work for himself and pursue a solo career.

Bruce had already released one solo album prior - 1990's Tattooed Millionaire - but that wasn't a very serious endeavor and would feel quite removed from the work he did next. Balls To Picasso (1994) was a hard rock affair with experimental touches, and was a head-scratcher for fans expecting something akin to the classic Maiden sound. Skunkworks (1996) was another "WTF moment", as Bruce tried his hand at alternative rock and grunge.

With those two albums out of his system, though, he managed to knock out two classic '90s metal albums, Accident Of Birth (1997) and The Chemical Wedding (1998). These were decidedly heavy records and finally helped him break into the spotlight as a rising solo artist. That wasn't to last, however, as he would rejoin Maiden in 1999 and stick with them right up to the present. Since that reunion, he released one more solo-work in 2005, Tyranny Of Souls, but his main attention remains Iron Maiden.

Bruce continues to engage audiences with his outstanding command of the stage during live performances, and despite being much older these days, he's managed to dominate the vocal arena with his powerful voice. He also loves aviation and is a respected pilot, often managing to tie music and planes together in one entity. He even managed to best cancer in 2015, and wrote an autobiography about his life called What Does This Button Do? He's also spoken at length about a new solo album, but its release remains to be seen.