Steve Harris

Steve Harris is not merely Iron Maiden's bassist. He is the founder, chief architect and disciplining force behind one of heavy metal's great institutions. Since 1975 his vision has turned a band born in working-class east London into a worldwide phenomenon, steered without concessions to trends, fashions or excessively creative executives. His galloping bass became a signature of the genre, driving classics such as "The Trooper" and "Run to the Hills". As a writer, Harris fused heavy metal, progressive rock, shifting tempos and historical or literary narrative into epics like "Phantom of the Opera", "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". In Maiden the bass does not sit discreetly at the back. It leads the charge, as any sensible instrument would once it worked out who is in command. More than an influential musician, Harris embodies Iron Maiden's irreducible identity: obsessive work, creative control and absolute loyalty to a universe of his own. Singers, guitarists and drummers have passed through the line-up, but his command has remained the band's central axis. Steve Harris did not merely build Maiden. He created a musical, visual and cultural language that has crossed five decades without asking the market's permission.