Former Samson/Iron Maiden/Desperado drummer Clive Burr has left us for the other side on the evening of March 12, 2013. Clive passed peacefully in his sleep at the age of 56 years old after losing his battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Clive had been battling with MS for the past few years and was beginning to fall deeper into debt because of the treatments. To aid their friend, Iron Maiden began the Clive Burr MS Trust in 2002. The band periodically donated proceeds from live shows to Burr, aiding the drummer tremendously.
Clive was one of those drummers that definitely had a signature sound and style. He had this way of playing very subtle intricacies and he played with a swing and feel that is sadly missing from many metal drummers. I will always appreciate Clive’s work with not just Iron Maiden but the work that he did with former Twisted Sister leader Dee Snider’s band Desperado. That was a band that I really wanted to see take off but the plug was pulled by the record company after the band had written, recorded, mixed, and mastered a full album ready to be released. If you can track down this album via bootleg, trust me, it’s worth hearing and you can really hear the flow and style of Clive all over it. That was a great marriage that should’ve been.
Various members of the metal world paid their respects to Clive and I thought I would share them with you all below:
Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden): “I first met Clive when he was leaving Samson and joining Iron Maiden,” “He was a great guy and a man who really lived his life to the full. Even during the darkest days of his M.S., Clive never lost his sense of humor or irreverence. This is a terribly sad day and all our thoughts are with Mimi and the family.”
Steve Harris (Iron Maiden): “This is terribly sad news. Clive was a very old friend of all of us. 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. This is a sad day for everyone in the band and those around him and our thoughts and condolences are with his partner Mimi and family at this time.”
Charlie Benante (Anthrax): “Clive Burr…One of my favorite drummers of all time. “A quick story. It was 1981. I was hanging with friends in the back of the Palladium in New York City. JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN were playing. Two taxis pull up and MAIDEN get out, Steve [Harris, IRON MAIDEN bassist] and Clive hang and talk for a bit. Clive at the time was an up-and-coming drummer that I thought played with a style all his own. The drumming on ‘Killers’ inspired me to kick it up a notch and I did. I spoke with him and asked him for a pair of sticks. When he was done signing things, he went into the venue and 10 minutes later came out with a pair of sticks for me. I still have those sticks.
Dee Snider (Twisted Sister/Desperado/Widowmaker): “After a long battle with multiple sclerosis, my dear friend Clive Burr [former IRON MAIDEN drummer] passed away in his sleep last night. We worked together on a project called DESPERADO from 1988-1990 and shared some great times, and sadly forgotten musical moments. I’m blessed to have spoken to him a couple of days ago on his birthday, shared some memories and a few smiles. A rock ‘n’ roll legend has been lost, and the world of music is less because of it. RIP, Clive, and ‘hit ’em hard’ in rock ‘n’ roll heaven.”
Dave Lombardo (Slayer): “Sadness overcame my morning when I heard this news. His style was inspiring and the albums he recorded with Iron Maiden are touchstones of my music education. He played with a particular energy which bought edge and excitement to the Iron Maiden classics. I never got to meet him, but I wish did. The best thing for me to do right now is listen to some classic Iron Maiden. Up The Irons!”
Paul Bostaph (Slayer/Testament/Exodus,/Forbidden): “I’m truly saddened to hear of Clive Bur’s passing. His drumming has had and still has a strong influence on my playing style. I bummed I never go to meet him and thank him in person for his musical gifts. God speed Clive!”
3 Inches of Blood: “RIP Clive Burr, your contributions to metal will live forever.”
Machine Head’s Dave McClain: “Very sad news. One of my favorite drummers and a huge influence on me as a young drummer. To me, he brought punk rock drumming into heavy metal. I can remember walking into the Hemisphere Arena in San Antonio to see Iron Maiden and seeing Clive’s white kit on stage. I about crapped my pants! I just stood there in awe looking at the actual kit that I had been staring at on the back of the “Killers” album cover for the whole summer. I was a HAPPY kid! He will always be an inspiration to my drumming. One of my go-to guys when I’m trying to find different drum fills and beats, or I’ll ask myself “what would Clive do?”
White Wizzard: “We are very sad to hear of Clive Burr’s passing away. He was a huge influence on me as a player when I was growing up. Such an amazing drummer. He obviously, from what I have seen and heard, was an amazing person and seemed like a rare humble soul in the ego mania world of rock and roll. It makes me thankful to have my health and humbled to be able to play my instrument and do what I love. No matter how hard things get it is important to remember every day you can make music or do whatever it is you love without physical limitations, it is a blessing. It must have been so hard to have to leave Maiden when he did, and he always showed no bitterness. That shows a lot of character…..all the best Clive Burr, may you hold your sticks high in the heavens wherever your soul wanders and drum again………drinking MANY ESB’s this week in your memory.”
Clive Burr left behind a very impressive legacy. Clive was “thee” drummer on three of the most important albums in heavy metal history. His playing inspired countless young people to pick up sticks and start beating the shit out of things. I never met the guy personally but just from what I have read and seen in photos and interviews he was a gracious and very humble guy. The fact alone that he played on three of metal’s most iconic albums would give him a slight reason to be someone egotistical but he wasn’t.
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