Former Iron Maiden Drummer Clive Burr Dead at 56

Former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr died last night at age 56. Burr, who had suffered from poor health for many years after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, died peacefully in his sleep at home.

Burr joined Maiden in 1979 and played on their first three albums — Iron Maiden (1980), Killers (1981) and The Number of The Beast (1982). Before that, he was a member of Samson, the band Bruce Dickinson fronted before he joined Iron Maiden.

Members of Iron Maiden have posted responses online:

Steve Harris: “This is terribly sad news. Clive was a very old friend of all of us. He was a wonderful person and an amazing drummer who made a valuable contribution to Maiden in the early days when we were starting out. This is a sad day for everyone in the band and those around him and our thoughts and condolences are with his partner Mimi and family at this time.”

Bruce Dickinson: “I first met Clive when he was leaving Samson and joining Iron Maiden. He was a great guy and a man who really lived his life to the full. Even during the darkest days of his M.S., Clive never lost his sense of humor or irreverence. This is a terribly sad day and all our thoughts are with Mimi and the family.”