After four decades behind the kit for one of the world's greatest heavy metal bands, IRON MAIDEN drummer NICKO MCBRAIN is ready to tell his story. The 73-year-old musician has announced his autobiography, titled "Hello Boys And Girls!", due October 22, 2026 via Harper Nonfiction in hardback, ebook, and audio formats.
The book promises "lots of fun stories, anecdotes and of course my incredible experiences," as McBrain put it in the official statement. His journey began on the British music scene before he joined IRON MAIDEN in December 1982, going on to become the third longest-tenured member behind Steve Harris and Dave Murray.
McBrain's final years with the band were shaped by significant health challenges. In August 2023, he publicly disclosed suffering a stroke that caused partial paralysis, which ultimately forced him to step away. "I wasn't doing the songs justice because of the handicap that I had," he admitted. He played his last concert with IRON MAIDEN on December 7, 2024, at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil, before being replaced by Simon Dawson.
Prior to the stroke, McBrain had also opened up in 2021 about his battle with stage 1 laryngeal cancer, diagnosed six years earlier. Despite these setbacks, he remained with the band until he could no longer meet his own standards.
"I'm very excited and honoured to be working with the wonderful Harper Nonfiction team," McBrain said. The autobiography is set to be one of the most anticipated metal memoirs of 2026, offering a first-person account of life inside one of heavy metal's most enduring institutions.