ADRIAN SMITH / IRON MAIDEN

Iron Maiden are an institution. Over the course of nearly 40 years they have come to embody a spirit of fearless creative independence, ferocious dedication to their fans, and a cheerful indifference to their critics that’s won them a following that spans every culture, generation, and time zone. A story of gritty determination and courageous defiance of the naysayers, theirs has been an adventure like no other, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.

Founded by bassist Steve Harris in the mid ‘70s, Iron Maiden were already firmly established as heavy metal’s brightest hopes when they stormed the world with their third album (and first with vocalist Bruce Dickinson), The Number of the Beast, in 1982. It would kick off a decade of classic releases and dogged touring that would come to epitomize the unrelenting, uncompromising, unswerving commitment they are now so well known for.

The Number of the Beast also marked guitarist Adrian Smith’s first song-writing contributions in the band. A childhood friend of Dave Murray, Smith joined Iron Maiden in 1980, and recorded the Killers album in 1981, but did not begin co-writing with the band until on “Gangland” and “The Prisoner.”

Smith left Iron Maiden in 1990, forming his own band Psycho Motel while also playing in Bruce Dickinson’s solo outfit, but then rejoined the metal giants in 1999.

Did You Know?

Adrian Smith bought his first electric guitar from Dave Murray for five British pounds, and the pair formed some of their first bands together in their early teens.

Fun Facts

Take a close look at the numerous Egyptian hieroglyphs covering the detailed Powerslave album sleeve and you’ll find hidden messages like “bollocks,” “Indiana Jones was here” and “Wot, no Guinness?”.

Quotable:

“Jackson sent me a prototype to try out. I got it out of the box and played it for about three years. That was my main guitar. I said I just like the way it is. It’s the quality of the workmanship.

"To be honest, if I have to mess around with a guitar too much, I kind of lose interest in it. It’s got to be basically right, or just out of the box {where} I can just take them and plug them in and play straight away. And that’s the consistency of them.” – Adrian Smith on his Jackson signature models