IRON MAIDEN's BRUCE DICKINSON: How I Juggle My Music Career With Other Projects

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke to WalesOnline about his struggle to juggle his monumentally successful music career with his other projects, including being the owner of aircraft maintenance and training company Caerdav (formerly Cardiff Aviation Ltd.). He said: "I'm juggling it constantly. The idea was to not be juggling it quite as much as I ended up doing in the early and middle years. I put a substantial amount of money into the company over the years, and when it was known as Cardiff Aviation, I think it's fair to say it had a few false starts. Two years ago, we had to completely reorganize the company, we changed the name and completely rebranded it. Much of the workforce stayed the same and they have been fantastic, but I went from being one-third shareholder to 100% shareholder.

"The crucial thing is to always communicate as a team," he explained. "In terms of the business, it's about running past ideas and representing the company as a chairman should do. You rely on a team and you just can't do it on your own. There have been quite a few occasions when there was a significant amount of personal pressure, but that does go with the territory. But the people who were around me in Wales were very supportive.

"It's the same with IRON MAIDEN," he explained. "We have a great team, so when, as a band, we're thinking of doing music, we're not worrying about 'who's going to rent the truck' or 'who's going to sort out the permits.' We have a fantastic team who does that and we do the music."

Dickinson is considered one of the world's most storied musicians after decades spent delivering high-octane performances with his larger-than-life persona in IRON MAIDEN. A true polymath, his accomplishments include: pilot and airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, beer brewer, motivational speaker, film scriptwriter, twice-published novelist and Sunday Times best-selling author, radio presenter, TV actor, sports commentator and international fencer….to name but a few.

Back in October 2017, Dickinson's autobiography, "What Does This Button Do?", landed at No. 10 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list. It was released in the U.S. via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books),an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

"What Does This Button Do?" is Dickinson's third book. He has previously published two satirical novels, "The Adventures Of Lord Iffy Boatrace" about the English upper classes and "The Missionary Position" about televangelism.

Dickinson, who turned 62 last August, joined IRON MAIDEN in 1981, replacing Paul Di'Anno, and made his recording debut with the band on the 1982 album "The Number Of The Beast". He quit the band in 1993, pursuing several solo projects, and rejoined in 1999.