Anyone who follows Lady Gaga 's career knows that the American pop singer has never hidden her rock and heavy metal roots. Besides collaborations with Metallica , singing the hit "Highway to Hell" with Brian Johnson , and paying homage to Ozzy Osbourne , there's one band in particular that the artist loves: Iron Maiden .
Public admiration for the band gained notoriety in 2011 when the singer attended a concert in Tampa, Florida, and although she started watching the performance from a VIP box, the "Mother Monster" couldn't resist the first chords of "The Number of the Beast" and ended up in the middle of the crowd to headbang and join the fans.
In 2015, while posing for CR Fashion Book magazine wearing a t-shirt from the iconic album, she explained her passion for the band. “Iron Maiden never had a hit song on the radio and they fill stadiums all over the world. Their fans live, breathe and die for Maiden, and that’s my dream. I always told people, when they said, ‘Oh, she’s the next Madonna .’ No, I am the next Iron Maiden,” the singer declared at the time [transcription via Loudersound ].
Steve Harris, bassist and founder of Iron Maiden, recalled meeting Lady Gaga
In an Metal Hammer, Steve Harris, bassist and founder of Iron Maiden, recalled the backstage encounter at the 2011 show. According to the musician, drummer Nicko McBrain was responsible for welcoming the singer, who took a picture with Maisie, Steve's youngest daughter.
“I just said hi and stuff like that, asked if she would mind taking a picture with my daughter, and that was it. And my daughter asked me, ‘Daddy, why is she naked?’ She really didn’t have much covering her! I replied, ‘I have no idea!’” he joked.
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