Earlier this week, The Rock & Roll Hall of fame announced its inductees for 2026, and after decades of little to no recognition from the institution, metal icons Iron Maiden are among the artists to be honored later this year.
Originally there was confusion surrounding which members of the band would actually be included in the induction. Original guitarist Dennis Stratton was among those nominated with the group having only appeared on the band’s debut, yet former singer Blaze Bayley wasn’t originally included despite fronting the band for five years and on two studio efforts.
Just prior to their 2026 inductees announcement, the Hall updated its nomination list to include Bayley, and now that he’s going in, the former Maiden singer and longtime solo artist couldn’t be happier.
“It’s crazy, really!” he told Classic Rock Magazine. “When I started out, I just wanted to be like Ronnie James Dio, and Dio is in the Heavy Metal Hall Of Fame and so am I. The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame is another level entirely, it’s not really ‘rock’n’roll’ as we think of it, it’s the music business hall of fame because it has everybody. So it’s absolutely wild!”
Bayley continued: “I’ve had so many messages saying congratulations. It’s a really big deal for a lot of people; for me, I just feel so lucky to be considered in the same breath as some of the other artists on there. Multi-platinum artists! It feels like a real privilege to be nominated.”
