Bruce Dickinson is known as a man of many things. The Iron Maiden frontman has been an icon of heavy metal since the eighties. Dickinson is halfway done with his seventh solo album, and he’s also writing an autobiography to be on the shelves by 2017. Last year he had worldwide support from fans as he battled head and neck cancer. Dickinson even owns his own airline — and yes, he will be flying the 747 for Iron Maiden’s 2016 World Tour.
Very rarely, however, is Dickinson identified as one to be found on British TV game shows.
In 1997 — during the Iron Maiden dry spell when Dickinson took a leave from the band — the metal singer made an appearance on Last Chance Lottery with Patrick Kielty. The show ran for one year, during which the Irish comedian called upon some big names in music business (such as Tim Wheeler from Ash) to perform lottery-style covers of other artists. Dickinson was delt an ironic hand when the spinning wheel landed on Tom Jones’ “Delilah” for £805.
Sporting a leopard print suit and a spiffy haircut, Dickinson rocked out to the 1968 hit with total conviction. Meanwhile, a backup band wearing dark sunglasses and fro wigs accompanied him, putting a whole new spin on the concept of “hair metal.” This begs the most fundamental question: where was Dickinson’s long, luscious hair? Maybe we’ll find out in 2017 in that book of memoirs of his.
Last Chance Lottery stopped running the next year when Kielty was asked to present After the Break and Famed Academy. Dickinson, who also released his solo album Accident of Birth in 1997, rejoined Iron Maiden two years later in 1999. His hair, however, never made a comeback.
Leave a Comment