‘80s Metal Icon Nearly Quit Music 40 Years Ago to ‘Become A Fencing Teacher'
At long last, Iron Maiden will enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. It's an honor that's been a long time coming. The group released their self-titled debut in 1980, and their subsequent albums, Killers, The Number of the Beast, and Piece of Mind, defined heavy metal in the ‘80s.
The group has been going strong ever since, but according to a new interview, lead singer Bruce Dickinson almost bailed at the height of the band's success. Speaking with The Guardian, Dickinson, 67, revealed that he was burnt out following a grueling 1984 tour in support of the band's Powerslave album.
"That was definitely a wobble for me," said Dickinson. "I had no life. It started to feel like a golden cage. And that can't be right. I started to think: is it worth it? Because I'm young enough to do something else. I was thinking of packing it in to become a fencing teacher."
"I wanted to walk away, because that's preferable to losing your soul and everything else that goes with it," he added. Dickinson was also worried about losing connection with "why I got into music in the first place: because it was a form of dramatic storytelling."
Dickinson stuck it out for another decade, exiting Maiden in 1993. Bruce saw how grunge-adjacent acts like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains were changing the musical landscape. " I was looking at it going: are we still on the zeitgeist, or is the Iron Maiden furniture looking a bit faded at this point?" he said.
"It was a period of reflection and self-doubt. Realizing that I had been in an institution since my early 20s and that I didn't know how to do anything else outside that institution – I found that absolutely terrifying," he added. Iron Maiden recruited Blaze Bayley as a vocalist.
The band then released two albums (The X Factor, Virtual XI) that, while appreciated by the devout Maiden fans, struggled to catch fire with the wider metal audience.
Bruce Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999. Maiden has released six albums since, including 2021's Senjutsu, a commercial and critical success.
Iron Maiden are part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which also includes Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Sade, Luther Vandross, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan, and Joy Division/New Order.
However, Iron Maiden will not attend the induction ceremony.
"As the most observant have already noticed, the band will be on tour in Australia around the November date of the Induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles," said manager Rod Smallwood. "In accepting, Iron Maiden made it very clear to the R&R HoF that the fans always come first and that the shows will, of course, go on."
However, guitarist Dennis Stratton, who played on the band's debut, and Blaze Bayley (who subbed in while Dickinson was away), are available. As is Nicko McBrain, who joined in 1982 and retired from touring in 2024.
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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 1:15 PM.