Clive Burr, the ex-Iron Maiden drummer, dies aged 56 Born on March 8, 1957, in East Ham, London, Burr was a member of British hard rock band Samson before joining Iron Maiden on December 26, 1979. Along with groups such as Def Leppard and Diamond Head, Iron Maiden were one of the pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). They were characterised by their cacophonous, muscular sound and fondness for leather jackets. Burr left Iron Maiden in December 1982, just as they were about to become a global stadium headline act, and later appeared on recordings by metal bands such as Desperado, Trust, Stratus, Gogmagog and Elixir. When Burr was diagnosed with MS in 2001, his erstwhile Maiden bandmates raised money for his living costs by performing charity concerts and helping to form the Clive Burr MS Trust Fund. In the last years of his life, Burr was confined to a wheelchair. "I first met Clive when he was leaving Samson and joining Iron Maiden," added Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson on the group's site. He was a great guy and a man who really lived his life to the full. Even during the darkest days of his MS, Clive never lost his sense of humour or irreverence. This is a terribly sad day. Following the band's statement, musicians paid tribute to the drummer, who is survived by his partner, Mimi, and the couple's family. Frank Turner tweeted: "Sad to hear of the passing of Clive Burr, original Maiden drummer. Killers was the first album I owned. Will play it loud today," while Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, who left a tribute on his Facebook, described Burr as his "all-time favourite metal drummer." "Always remember CLIVE for eternity," added Iron Maiden tribute band Coverslave on their Twitter account.