BLAZE BAYLEY: A Family Member Once Told Me, 'You Will Never Be A Singer'

In a new interview with MetalRadio.gr, British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, spoke about the lyrical inspiration for his solo song "Pull Yourself Up", which appears on his latest album, "War Within Me". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When I started, I wasn't a natural singer, but I loved to sing, and I wanted to be a singer, so I learned to sing. But in my career, there were some people that said, 'You can't sing.' A family member said, 'You will never be a singer.' In a review, someone said, 'You can't sing.' And in the second chorus [of 'Pull Yourself Up'], it goes, 'They said I could not sing. Come and sing with me.' Because I am now a professional heavy metal singer. I got to be in the top band in the world for heavy metal, and now I own my own tiny record label and I produce my own records and I have thousands of fans who love to hear me sing. So it wasn't impossible, was it? So each time, it's pull yourself up. Don't let them define you by what they say. They aren't you. Don't let other people define you and who you are and your dreams with their negative outlook on life. 'You'll never do this.' No, you don't think I'll never do that. That's you. That's not me."

The 58-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, recorded two studio albums with IRON MAIDEN — 1995's "The X Factor" 1998's and "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the group. The MAIDEN albums he appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort.

"War Within Me" came out on April 9. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Christopher Appleton.