Once the Iron Maiden frontman discovered the gift of music his life became a series of sky-high moments

Bruce Dickinson was born in August 1958 in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. After fronting a series of bands in Sheffield and London, he became the singer of new wave of heavy metal band Samson in 1979, releasing three albums before leaving in 1981 to join Iron Maiden. His first album with Maiden was their third, 1982’s The Number Of The Beast, which became the band’s first UK number one. Over the following decade Maiden released a further five worldwide hit albums while establishing themselves as one of the biggest live draws in the world.

Dickinson quit Maiden in 1993 and released a string of well-received solo albums before rejoining the band in 1999 and embarking on their biggest tours to date while releasing a string of huge albums.

Away from music, Bruce Dickinson holds an airline transport pilot’s licence and flew Boeing 757s for the airline Astraeus, returned a group of British RAF pilots from Afghanistan in 2008, and 200 British citizens from Lebanon during the Israel/Hezbollah conflict in 2006, among other notable flights. He’s written two novels – The Adventures of Lord Iffy Boatrace and The Missionary Position – along with his memoirs, 2017’s What Does This Button Do? He has also competed internationally at fencing and launched a series of beers.

Speaking to The Big Issue for his Letter to My Younger Self, Bruce Dickinson reflected on his schooldays, his time squatting in London and dealing with success.

By 16 I had been packed off to a boarding school and was fairly badly bullied because I didn’t really fit in. I was this kid from Worksop. My parents worked their fingers to the bone doing two or three jobs so they could send their kids to a place that would mean I didn’t have to work as hard as them. I never figured that one out. The only way I would have respect for myself is if I worked hard at something. But kids there were very entitled. The class system was embedded from the moment you walked in – there was a pecking order, you knew your place. But I refused to know my place and had a big mouth. So it was unwittingly character building. Although I’m not sure bullying ever does anything, really, except damage people.