Bruce Dickinson might not be “The Metal God”, that accolade still goes to Rob Halford. But he is a rock/metal god of his own right. In an interview with BBC Radio, the Iron Maiden frontman talked about who he thought was his personal rock god. It turns out that it’s someone who you would expect if you’ve listened to Bruce talk about rock before.

My rock god is Ian Gillan. There I was, a young spotty teenager – just a teenager, I should hasten to add – and there was this noise coming through somebody’s door. I opened it, and I went, ‘What on earth is that?!’ And it was ‘Speed King’ by Deep Purple off [1970’s] In Rock. And that was what got me started.

Ian Gillan might not be everyone’s traditional rock god, but in this case, it’s high praise from Dickinson. Following this, he also goes on to tell a fun story about the first time he met Gillan.

Having said all that, I met Ian Gillan – not only did I meet him, I actually went on tour with him when I was in a band called Samson. I’m in a studio, we’ve done an album in Ian Gillan’s studio, we’ve all been at the pub and had a few pints, in walks my god Ian Gillan and goes, ‘Hey, what a great vocalist. Who’s the singer?’ At that moment, I felt a sudden urge to vomit. I ran out of the room, puked up for about 45 minutes in the toilet when in comes my idol, kicks the door, and goes, ‘C’mon, mate. Out you come. Let’s get you wiped down with a towel.’ He put me in a taxi and sent me home. I’ve never forgotten that, and he’s never let me forget it either.

Deep Purple Shaped Bruce Dickinson Into Who He Is

There are plenty of videos out there of Bruce Dickinson singing Deep Purple and talking about the band. It’s one of the main influences on his career alongside Ronnie James Dio. This is incredibly interesting to hear someone with the stature of Bruce talk about another peer like this. It’s high praise for Ian Gillan, who is one of the most influential vocalists in rock/metal music.

So, what do you think of Bruce Dickinson’s rock god? Would Ian Gillan be your choice as well?

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Source: BBC Radio