featuredmetaljudas priestkk downing
20:11 Saturday, 15 October 2022
In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, guitarist KK Downing shared his excitement to be joining Judas Priest for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony that will take place on November 5 in Los Angeles.
KK Downing became a core member of Judas Priest along with the bassist Ian Hill starting in the late ’60s. Although the band was on a roll, especially in the 80s, confusion among the members about everyone’s role in the band eventually caused Downing to leave Judas Priest in 2011.
The separation was unpleasant; there were even talks about the doors being permanently closed for the co-founder. So it wasn’t surprising that after Tipton announced his diagnosis with Parkinson’s, Downing wasn’t approached by Judas Priest to reunite with the band to fill his original place.
Although it has been years since Downing didn’t perform with his former bandmates, the guitarist will be present for Judas Priest’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Downing shared that the performance will be like riding a bike as performing is embedded in him, so he’s counting down the minutes to November 5, when the ceremony will take place.
KK Downing’s words about joining Judas Priest for the ceremony:
“It’s what I’ve done so many times. It’s almost like cracking a beer, let alone riding a bike. It’s embedded in me. It’s what I do. So it’ll be quite something to look forward to: get up there and crank the amps up and do it again for that short moment in time. It’ll go by in a flash, won’t it? We’ve probably got eight or nine minutes.
I’m not even going to be able to break a sweat. The main thing is to represent the attitude and, hopefully, the legend of what Judas Priest is and has become and what it means to everybody who’s been on that very long journey through the decades with the band. And hopefully, it will remind people and bring back some cherished memories of the heavy metal parking lots worldwide.”
The guitarist added that the primary goal of the performance is to do justice to what Judas Priest represents for the fans who have supported the band over the years. He is excited to put on a show that will remind fans worldwide of the beautiful moments of the heavy metal parking lots.
