Born on August 7: Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden—and also an airline pilot!

He was born in 1958 in Worksop near Nottingham and has never been content to just scream his way through songs with Iron Maiden, the UK’s most popular heavy metal band.

After a few teenage gigs, he truly launched his career in 1979 with Samson, another flagship band of what was then known as The New Wave of British Heavy Metal. But it was with Iron Maiden in 1982 that he showcased the full range of his vocal abilities on the iconic “The Number of the Beast.” A reference to the diabolical 666, a theme also explored by other bands such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. From a band that borrowed its stage name from a rather gruesome torture device developed in the 16th century, one can hardly expect any gratuitous tenderness, of course! Except when it comes to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, for whom “Iron Maiden” is also a nickname. Arguing that their band was formed before she took office, they have always denied any connection to her.

In addition to a few solo projects, Bruce Dickinson has other strings to his bow. A skilled fencer who competes at a high level, he even founded a brand of fencing equipment called Duellist in 1988. He has written two books, The Adventures of Lord Iffy Boatrace (1990) and The Missionary Position (1992), each of which has sold tens of thousands of copies. But what’s most surprising is that the singer has also held an airline pilot’s license since the early 1990s. In his spare time, Captain Dickison has even flown for the now-defunct British airline Astraeus, as well as Ed Force One—the Boeing jets the band has been using for its tour travel since 2008.

After more than four decades with the volume knobs consistently cranked all the way up, one can’t help but wonder what condition the man’s eardrums are in today.

As he wraps up a long world tour with his band Iron Maiden in late summer 2026, Bruce Dickinson announces a new solo album scheduled for early 2027. This follow-up to The Mandrake Project (2024) features a collaboration with his eldest son, Austin Dickinson, who is also the former lead singer of Rise To Remain. Dickinson has already recorded 16 tracks live in just 21 days at Dave Grohl’s (Foo Fighters) legendary Studio 606. He described this old-school process as a manifesto of the “anti-AI generation.”

Photo 1: Bruce Dickinson with Iron Maiden on stage at Forest-National in Brussels (Belgium) on October 20, 1984

Photo 2: Bruce Dickinson with Iron Maiden at the Live Is Live festival in Antwerp (Belgium) on July 1, 2026