Iron Maiden's first drummer, Clive Burr, has passed away in his sleep at the age of 56. The iconic British heavy metal band were in mourning on Wednesday as they announced the news to fans via their Facebook page. Burr, who was part of the line-up from 1979-1982, passed away during his sleep at his home on Tuesday after suffering with Multiple Sclerosis. Scroll down for video Rock icon: Clive Burr, who was the original drummer for Iron Maiden, has passed away in his sleep at the age of 56 The drummer had battled the disease for years, and was left severely in debt thanks to his medical bills. His former band had rallied around him during his illness, staging concerts to raise funds for the Clive Burr MS Trust Fund. '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,' wrote the band. Original line-up: Burr was the band