Adrian Smith is one of the key reasons why ‘Iron Maiden’ is still a hugely successful band over four decades after its formation. Smith was strongly influenced by the work of the bands ‘Deep Purple’ and ‘Jimi Hendrix’ from an early age, which drove him to pursue music. Adrian proved to be one of the missing parts of the puzzle for members of the band ‘Iron Maiden,’ who were having issues with lead guitarist Dennis Stratton at the time. The band saw great development after teaming with Adrian, and has since published multiple albums and received various prizes and honors. Smith has also made headlines for the variety of guitars he has used in his concerts. ‘Gibson Les Pauls,’ ‘Hamer Scarabs,’ and ‘Lado Guitars’ are among the instruments he utilized frequently. Many people have praised Adrian for being a ‘Songwriter’s Dream’ musician who is capable of doing total justice to the lyrics. Unlike most other instrumentalists, Adrian has written a number of songs for his band, which have received a lot of praise.
Childhood and Adolescence
Adrian was born in Hackney County, East London, on February 27, 1957. Adrian Frederick Smith was his birth name. Adrian’s father worked as an interior designer and painter. Smith grew up in London’s Camden neighborhood. Adrian became interested in music while he was just 15 years old. Soon after, he began playing the guitar, inspired by musician Dave Murray, who had been a close friend at the time.
Adrian, Dave Murray, John Hoye, who played bass guitar, and numerous other drummers founded the band ‘Urchin’ in 1972. The band performed at John Hoye’s school as well as other local contests. The band, however, disbanded eight years after its inception.
Career of Adrian Smith
Even though he was engaged with ‘Urchin’ responsibilities, Adrian received an invitation to join the famed metal band ‘Iron Maiden’ in 1979, which he turned down. Adrian had no idea what he was going to do once Urchin broke up in 1980. Dave Murray, who was already a member of ‘Iron Maiden,’ offered him the chance to join the band. At the same time, the record label EMI was supporting ‘Iron Maiden.’
Dennis Stratton, the band’s guitarist, had already had artistic issues with the band, and he was shortly replaced by Adrian. Smith recorded for Iron Maiden’s second album, ‘Killers,’ after a few shows with the band during a UK tour. This album’s songs, which were released in 1981, topped the charts in a number of nations.
Adrian has co-written numerous songs, including ‘Gangland,’ ‘The Prisoner,’ and ’22 Acacia Avenue,’ in addition to being a guitarist. He even wrote Iron Maiden’s fourth album, ‘Piece of Mind,’ with British musician Bruce Dickinson, which was published in 1983.
Adrian kept himself occupied in 1989 with the band ‘ASAP,’ an abbreviated abbreviation of ‘Adrian Smith And Project.’ This development resulted from the choice of the members of the ‘Iron Maiden’ band to take a sabbatical from their musical duties. Adrian even published an album called ‘Silver and Gold,’ however the CD was not well received by heavy metal music fans.
‘Iron Maiden’ was preparing to release their eighth album, named ‘No Prayer For The Dying,’ around the same time as ‘Silver and Gold.’ Adrian was dissatisfied with the way the album was coming together and stepped out during the pre-production of ‘Iron Maiden.’ He did, however, mend fences with the band and joined them onstage at Donnington Park in England in 1992.
Adrian listened to a couple tracks from the progressive metal band ‘King’s X’ in the early 1990s. Smith started his own band in an attempt to recreate comparable music after being inspired by the band’s songs. This new band, dubbed ‘Psycho Motel,’ issued many albums in the mid-to-late 1990s, including ‘State of Mind’ and ‘Welcome To The World.’
Adrian worked on Bruce Dickinson’s debut album, ‘Accident of Birth,’ in 1997 with his ‘Iron Maiden’ band member. The record was well received, and the duo reunited for the latter’s second album, ‘The Chemical Wedding,’ which was released the following year. Adrian rejoined his previous band, ‘Iron Maiden,’ in the 2000s, and appeared on three of the band’s albums produced at the time, including ‘Dance of Death,’ ‘A Matter of Life and Death,’ and ‘The Final Frontier.’
Major Projects of Adrian Smith
Adrian is most recognized for his work with the metal band ‘Iron Maiden,’ while he has a long list of individual musical accomplishments. ‘2 Minutes to Midnight,’ ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner,’ and ‘Alexander the Great’ were among his duets with friend and bandmate Dave Murray.
Achievements and Awards
The band was nominated for a number of prizes and recognitions as a result of Adrian’s work to ‘Iron Maiden.’ Among them is a nomination for the album ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ in the ‘Album of the Year’ category at the 2007 ‘Metal Hammer awards.’
At the 2006 ‘Metal Storm Awards,’ the band earned the prize for ‘Best Heavy Metal Album’ for their album ‘A Matter of Life and Death.’ He and his fellow members of the ‘Iron Maiden’ troupe shared the award for ‘Best Video’ in 2010 for the legendary ‘Iron Maiden’ song ‘The Final Frontier.’
Personal History and Legacy
Adrian Smith is the eldest child of his parents, who have three children. Kathleen is his older sister, while Patrick is his younger brother. Adrian married Nathalie Dufresne Smith, a Canadian-born social worker, about the same time he briefly left ‘Iron Maiden.’ Dylan, Brittany, and Natasha are the names of the couple’s three children.
Adrian was a lifelong football fan since he was little. He was a fan of the famous football team ‘Manchester United,’ but his passion in the sport waned as he became more interested in heavy metal music. This English guitarist confessed in an interview with the magazine ‘Angler Mail’ that he used to bring ‘Worms and Maggots’ on his musical tours.
Estimated Net Worth
Adrian Smith, an English guitarist with a net worth of $40 million, is a well-known figure in the music industry. Adrian Smith was born in February 1957 in Hackney, East London, England. He is best known as a member of the Iron Maiden band. He sings backing vocals and creates tunes.