London, Aug 4 (IANS): Iron Maiden drummer Nicko 'Mc Brian has now begun recovering from a massive stroke which made him unable to play drums for months, ahead of the heavy metal legends rehearsing for their new tour.
The 71-year old drum legend had begun fearing that his career may get over after he lost movement on the right side of his body in January.
Taking to the Iron Maiden social media handle, the drummer said in a video statement: "The reason I'm writing to you all today is to let you know of a very serious health problem that I have been through. In January I had a stroke, thank the Lord it was a minor one referred to as a TIA. It left me paralysed. With the love and support from my wife, Rebecca and family, my doctors, especially Julie, my OT (Occupational Therapist), and my Maiden family I was able to bounce back to somewhere near 70 per cent recovered."
He continued: "I feel it's 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 per cent fitness. I'm not there yet but by the grace of God I'm getting better and stronger as the weeks go by."
"Thank you all for the most wonderful and magical tour so far, you have all been so amazing. Well that's it from me. God bless you all, stay safe and well and I look forward to seeing you all somewhere in time", he added.
Iron Maiden have been rocking out very hard in their Future Past Tour, hitting stops across Europe, selling out tickets in a frenzy and filling up stadiums in a jiffy, with a crowd of thousands of fans cheering them and raising their devil horns.
Nicko Mc Brian is an integral part of the band, having been with them since 1982 after old drummer Clive Burr left, and debuted on their classic fourth album 'Piece of Mind'.
The drummer is considered a legend in rock and metal circles, primarily due to his high energy and stamina as he is able to play chops that most drummers need a double pedal to do, something which he does with a single bass pedal.
He also displays a very eclectic style incorporating elements of blues, hard rock, progressive rock, punk rock and more though Nicko is mainly known for his high energy. His drumming style has inspired numerous other drummers ranging from Mike Portnoy, Lars Ulrich, Dave Lombardo, The Rev and many more.