IRON MAIDEN's ADRIAN SMITH Picks PAUL RODGERS As His 'Rock God'

IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith was the featured guest on BBC's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" during the "Rock God" segment. Smith picked Paul Rodgers and stated about his choice: "FREE were probably my favorite band when I was growing up. I loved, and still love, that swaggering '70s bluesy rock.

"I met Paul Rodgers once," he continued. "I had arranged for my father to see a doctor up in town. He was having a few health problems; this was back in the '90s. I was late getting to the doctor, as usual, and my dad was in the waiting room. And when I got there, my dad was in conversation with none other than Paul Rodgers. My dad turned to me and said, 'Oh, Adrian, late as usual. But I've been talking to this nice young man here. He reckons he's a bit of a singer.' And my dad's favorite singer was Perry Como, so he had no idea who Paul Rodgers was. And I just thought that was lovely."

Smith's memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock", arrived last September via Virgin Books.

Adrian's collaboration with Richie Kotzen, SMITH/KOTZEN, will release its self-titled debut album on March 26 via BMG.

Smith was born in Hackney, East London, on February 27, 1957. He joined IRON MAIDEN at the end of 1980. Adrian is the bandmember who has collaborated on the most side projects outside of IRON MAIDEN, as well as writing and recording a series of albums in the early '90s, before rejoining the band. IRON MAIDEN has sold 100 million albums, and tour the world playing to millions of fans. Onstage, Adrian uses Jackson and Gibson guitars. Offstage, he is an avid tennis player. However, his main hobby is fishing.