CHRIS JERICHO Says NICKO MCBRAIN Has 'Earned His Right To Step Down' From Touring With IRON MAIDEN

During an appearance on the December 9 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho weighed in on IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain's announcement over the weekend that he was retiring from playing live with the legendary heavy metal act. Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just saw Nicko in Minneapolis probably about a month ago or so. And I asked him, like, 'How are you doing?' He was having problems playing 16th notes, he said. But he's still Nicko — funniest guy, best guy. So it doesn't surprise me that he retired 'cause he told me before, 'I want the guys to go on when I'm ready to stop. And it's gonna be soon.'"

Jericho continued: "MAIDEN is so classic in that, if you think about this, they didn't give fans a chance to even think about it. They announced it on the morning. He plays his last show that night. They announced the new drummer the next day, and boom. It's, like, 'See you, guys.' It's, like, 'Whoa.' They didn't do, like, the Nicko farewell tour or anything like that. But, obviously, they've been planning it for a while. And Nicko, one of the most influential rock drummers ever, and more importantly, just a sweetheart of a guy. He's one of those guys, as you all know, no one ever says anything bad about Nicko McBrain — ever. He's just the friendliest, nicest, happiest, most encouraging guy. So, nothing but the best to him, man. And it's gonna be hard to replace Nicko McBrain. But he earned his right to step down. And he's just a classic drummer and a classic man."

Chris also addressed McBrain's statement that the drummer will remain closely connected to IRON MAIDEN and continue to be involved in "a variety of projects" with the band, while also focusing on personal ventures and his existing businesses. Asked if he thinks that it means McBrain could still play on future MAIDEN studio records, Jericho said: "It leaves the door open. And Nicko even said in his statement that he's still gonna be working on MAIDEN-related projects and he's still managed by [longtime MAIDEN managers Rod] Smallwood and Andy Taylor. So whether he plays on the album or not, I think they're leaving the door open for him. But, as you know, IRON MAIDEN songs are not easy to play, and recording a new record takes a while. So, maybe he'll play on it, but I think once you kind of step back from that daily playing or that tour life of playing, he might not wanna do it, or maybe he'll do a song or two. But I think it leaves the door open, but I wouldn't count on it anytime soon. And MAIDEN isn't doing a record anytime soon either. So…"

McBrain played his last-ever gig with MAIDEN this past weekend. The 72-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on Saturday, December 7 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. He also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the legendary rock band.

On Sunday (December 8),IRON MAIDEN announced Simon Dawson as its new touring drummer. Dawson is a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

Saturday's performance marked the the final show of IRON MAIDEN's "The Future Past" world tour, which began in May 2023.

MAIDEN will return to the road in 2025 for the "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which is scheduled to launch in May.

In January 2023, Nicko was at his home in Boca Raton when he suffered a stroke with partial paralysis.

When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August 2023, the drummer said in a statement that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over.

Four years ago, McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps. The musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

Tapped to replace Clive Burr in 1982 after touring activities for "Number Of The Beast" concluded, McBrain brought a degree of finesse and technicality that was largely missing from IRON MAIDEN's early output. Whereas Burr was often lauded for his heavy-handed, punk-oriented style, McBrain was largely the opposite, playing with a degree of dexterity and flair that helped primary songwriter Steve Harris take MAIDEN down more adventurous paths. He eventually became the third longest-tenured member of MAIDEN, behind Harris and guitarist Dave Murray.

McBrain spent his early drumming years playing for the likes of Pat Travers and French rockers TRUST, eventually falling onto the radar of Harris and MAIDEN during the group's initial European tour.