Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born June 5, 1952) is an English musician, best known as the current drummer for heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982. The nickname 'Nicko' originated from when the keyboard player Billy Day introduced him as "My Italian drummer, his name’s 'Nicko'". McBrain himself states that as a child he had a stuffed animal (bear) named "Nicholas" that he always carried with him so much so that his parents began calling him Nicky also. Only when he may have been in trouble was he called by his given name. McBrain is credited as being an early pioneer of the heavy metal sound and passes his experience on through drum clinics.
McBrain is frequently included in top drummer league tables and rankings as a result of his very influential and skillful performances in studio and on stage, as illustrated inRolling Stone's 100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time, where McBrain was placed at No. 38. In Total-Drums' 100 Best Rock Drummers Ever, McBrain was placed at No. 28, and similarly well ranked in EveryDrummer.com's Top 50 Drummers Of All Time, where he was at No. 26. Recently, he has been ranked at No. 18 in Rhythm Magazine's 50 Greatest Drummers Of All Time .
Known for his affable joking personality, eagerness for interviews and public appearances, McBrain is considered by his bandmates as Iron Maiden's spokeperson.
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