Former Iron Maiden Drummer Dead At 56

Ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr has died at the age of 56 in London.

As confirmed by Reuters, Burr had been suffering from multiple sclerosis for a number of years and his health had been deteriorating for a while.

In a statement posted on Iron Maiden's website on Wednesday, founder and bassist Steve Harris said, "He was a wonderful person and an amazing drummer who made a valuable contribution to Maiden in the early days when we were starting out."

Burr played in the band during their golden years, joining them in 1979 just before the release of their self-titled debut. He performed in the band on their next two records Killers and The Number of the Beast.

He left the group in 1982 and continued to perform in a number of other bands, including Trust, Elixir, Desperado and Praying Mantis.