IRON MAIDEN's Longtime Drummer NICKO MCBRAIN Announces Autobiography 'Hello Boys And Girls!'

Harper Nonfiction is set to publish the thrilling, hilarious and deeply personal autobiography of IRON MAIDEN's longtime drummer Nicko McBrain. "Hello Boys And Girls!" will be published into hardback, ebook and audio on October 22, 2026.

Nicko is the legendary drummer for IRON MAIDEN, joining the band in 1982, after stints with artists like STREETWALKERS, Pat Travers and TRUST and honing his craft from decades of session work among the highly competitive mean streets and studios of London's Soho. Through his powerful, precise drumming and charismatic stage presence, the long-serving drummer became a metal icon, pivotal in shaping IRON MAIDEN's dynamic sound.

With trademark humor and heart, McBrain takes us behind the scenes of one of Britain's biggest-ever bands. Experience the highs and lows of his illustrious career on the road, in the studio and being "Mr. Iron Maiden" to the worldwide legion of fans.

This is the story of what it feels like to remain not just relevant but more loved than ever after decades at the top, and to live a life transformed by music, brotherhood, and belief.

Packed with unforgettable moments, backstage stories, laugh-out-loud anecdotes, and raw honesty, "Hello Boys And Girls!" is more than a rock memoir, it's a front-row seat to one of heavy metal's greatest lives.

Nicko says: "I'm very excited and honoured to be working with the wonderful Harper Nonfiction team on my very own book full of lots of fun stories, anecdotes and of course my incredible experiences with some of the greatest musicians and performers from the '70s, '80s and beyond! I am blessed to be able to finally share my path to where I am today, in my own words, with the world."

The now-73-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on December 7, 2024 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. McBrain has since been replaced by Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and MAIDEN founding bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

In July 2025, Nicko told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his exit from MAIDEN: "I had my health issues, which was one of the primary reasons that I decided to hang it up with the guys. And I wasn't doing the songs justice because of the handicap that I had. And it wasn't fair on everybody else either in the band. They supported me 100 percent through the 'The Future Past Tour', and that was fantastic. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of brothers to support me through my darkest hour."

Elaborating on the physical ailments which contributed to his decision to retire from touring with IRON MAIDEN, Nicko said: "Primarily, I was fed up with touring in terms of the travel and not having days to recoup my body… I wasn't so much slowing down, although we did play the songs that… I got told off at rehearsals [in 2024] because I was playing the songs too fast, 'cause I'd been playing with [my Florida-based side project] TITANIUM TART [which plays MAIDEN songs] before I went off and did the rehearsals in Australia with MAIDEN. And I actually got told off for playing too quick. So it wasn't a question of not being able to drive the band. It was just not being able to drive the band with the drum fills that I'd been used to playing for 42 years. So the question mark was raised about the performance side. And that's quite right…So that was part of the decision that I made."

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.

Six 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.

McBrain lives at home in Florida with his wife Rebecca, their cat Lola, and two Yorkshire Terriers, Tigerlily and Tinkerbell.

McBrain officially joined IRON MAIDEN in December 1982 for the 1983 "Piece Of Mind" album and tour, replacing Clive Burr, after McBrain's previous band TRUST had supported IRON MAIDEN during the U.K. leg of the "Killers" tour in 1981. 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 Harris take MAIDEN down more adventurous paths. He eventually became the third longest-tenured member of MAIDEN, behind Harris and guitarist Dave Murray.

Photo credit: John McMurtrie