IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson took a break from the band's world tour to meet with members of the military community at the RAF Odiham base in Hampshire, United Kingdom.

The visit came ahead of the annual national event on Saturday, June 27 which aims to celebrate the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community.

Asked by Pad Wives Unfiltered about something people romanticize about touring lifestyles that is actually hard, Dickinson said: "I have three grown-up kids now who mercifully have all ended up as fantastic individuals.

And I would love to say it was all down to me, but for half of their life I was not there because I was on tour." He continued, "And part of me will always regret that, but it's a price you pay for doing...

And my kids, we're closer now than we ever were." Dickinson reflected on the sacrifices made as a touring musician.

He has been married three times: to Erica "Jane" Barnett from 1981-1994, to Patrice "Paddy" Bowden from 1990 until her death in May 2020, and his current wife Leana Dolci whom he married in the fall of 2023.

In a recent interview with Pad Wives Unfiltered, Dickinson spoke about balancing family life with touring commitments.

He noted that it's a price he pays for pursuing his music career.

Dickinson has been open about his personal struggles, including being diagnosed with stage 3 throat cancer in 2012 and undergoing radiation therapy.

The singer got the all-clear in May 2015 after chemotherapy treatment.