Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has admitted that he feared he would never be able to play drums again, after suffering a stroke in January.
McBrain suffered a minor stroke in January which left him partially paralysed on his right side from the shoulder down.
He underwent 10 weeks of âintensive therapyâ in an effort to get back to full strength, and by May he was ready to start rehearsals with the rest of the band, ahead of their recent âThe Future Pastâ tour.

Now, in a new interview with Metal Hammer magazine, he has opened up about the experience. âIt was very, very difficult,â he said.
âWhen it first happened, I thought, this is it, Iâm not going to be able to play. Iâve got a tour coming up in three monthsâ time. I had a lot of time for reflection in the hospital. My wife was really my bastion of strength and encouragement and she was with me throughout.â
He also spoke about the support he received from the rest of the band. âThroughout all this period of time, I was in touch with [Iron Maiden bassist] Steve [Harris]. Obviously, all the guys, and Iâd have a bit of a chat with them on the phone and they were all very, very encouraging, and none more so than Steve.â
âHe said, âLook, the most important thing is that you get well and work on getting yourself togetherâ.â
He only shared information about the health scare in August, saying that he had wanted to focus on his performance before imparting the news to fans.
âI feel itâs important to let you know about this now instead of earlier as I was mainly concerned with doing my job and concentrating on getting back to 100% fitness,â he said at the time. âIâm not there yet but by the grace of God Iâm getting better and stronger as the weeks go by.
In October, he revealed that he was almost fully recovered, saying he was â85 to 90 percent back to strengthâ, but admitted to still having some difficulty with the speed and dexterity of his fingers.
In late 2022, McBrain revealed he had laryngeal cancer in 2020 and encouraged fans to go to their doctor if they observed an unexplained change in the sound of their voice.
Iron Maiden are set to play a North American leg of âThe Future Pastâ tour in autumn 2024, kicking off in San Diego on October 4. Visit here for tickets.
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