Before becoming a big name in metal, Bruce Dickinson was a teenager chasing a dream. During that time, he had the opportunity to meet one of his greatest idols – and became ill after being praised by Ian Gillan , the vocalist of Deep Purple.
Asked about the figure he considers a "rock god" on the BBC's The Rock Show Blabbermouth ) Iron Maiden vocalist recalled that "Speed King," a Deep Purple track, was responsible for his initiation into the musical style. "I met Ian Gillan. Not only did I meet him, I toured with him when I was in a band called Samson ," he began to recount.
The group had the opportunity to record at Gillan's studio. On the day of the recording, all the members of Dickinson's former band had gone to a bar and had a few drinks, which interfered with the fan's first meeting with his idol. “My god Ian Gillan walks in and says, 'Hey, what a great vocalist. Who's the singer?' At that moment, I felt a sudden urge to vomit. I ran out of the studio, vomited for about 45 minutes in the bathroom when my idol arrived, kicked the door open and said, 'Come on, man. Get out. We'll clean you up with a towel.'"
After the embarrassing scene, Gillan called a taxi for Dickinson to get home safely. "I never forgot it, and he never let me forget it," the singer concluded.
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