In three weeks, Bruce Dickinson’s Hungarian fans will get the chance to meet the polyhistor superstar who comes to Hungary with an incredible one-man show. Celebrating the musical genius he is, let’s take a look at 20 fascinating facts about Iron Maiden’s iconic frontmen!
- Most probably all Iron Maiden and Bruce Dickinson fans know that Bruce isn’t Dickinson’s first name – it’s actually Paul. Bruce is only his middle name that was not used before his music career began.
- His father, Bruce, was a mechanic in the army.
- Has a bachelors degree from the University of London, however he had problems in school as he was a problematic kid.
- Dickinson presented his own radio show on BBC Radio 6 Music from 2002–2010.
- He has three children named Austin, Griffin, and Kia with his wife Paddy Bowden. The couple will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary next year.
- Many Iron Maiden fans will already know Bruce is a fencing expert, having represented Britain at the European Cup in 1989.
- The next fact is not a common knowledge. Bruce was kicked out of Oundle School after he pissed in baked beans being served to the prefects and his headmaster.
- As a child, Bruce lived with his grandparents, since his parents were constantly traveling because of his father’s job.
- Bruce Dickinson is a Qualified passenger airline pilot. Dickinson learned to fly recreationally in Florida in the 1990s, by now he has had all degrees and exams, so he could fly even a Boeing.
- He originally wanted to play the drums before discovering his passion for singing.
- The least likely musical collaboration ever? In 1992 Bruce Dickinson recorded an Alice Cooper cover with TV character Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson). A single and video of “(I Want To Be) Elected” was part of a Comic Relief project, hitting the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
- He has written two novels “The Adventures of Lord Iffy-Boatrace” and “The Missionary Position” – which describes the further adventures of Lord Iffy-Boatrace.
- In 2015, Dickinson underwent seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for a cancerous tumour found at the back of his tongue
- Bruce Dickinson can often be found in the coffee shops of Chiswick, West London. He loves sitting and reading while enjoying his cup of coffee.
- Dickinson’s first musical experience was dancing in his grandparents’ front room to Chubby Checker’s “The Twist”. At the age of 5 he really liked to listen to Beatles.
- Before his Iron Maiden stint began in 1981, Bruce appeared in a Canadian horror movie.
- While recording 1983’sPiece Of Mind album with Iron Maiden on the island of Jersey, Bruce kept himself conditioned by training with local fencing clubs. He later took fencing lessons from Errol Flynn’s fighting double, the most successful American fencer, Ralph Faulkner.
- Bruce isn’t the only elite sportsman in his family. Sister Helena Stormanns is a world champion show jumper.
- His solo 2005 album Tyranny Of Souls began life as a Three Tenors style project featuring himself, Rob Halford and Ronnie Dio, but due to management disagreements, the planned recording never got off the ground. The proposed vocal trio were to be billed as ‘The Three Tremors’.
- He shows a love of lumbering metal beasts, he also owns a T34 Soviet tank and a German World War I flying ace, a Fokker triplane. It is said, sometimes he drives the Soviet tank and enjoys that the vehicle is making such a big noise as he does on stage.
Get to more about his adventurous life and wide range of interests on 2nd November at Budapest Congress Center where he himself will tell us a few more stories and will reply to the questions handed in before the show. The performance is in English.
Tickets are available via www.livenation.hu.