Founding Judas Priest guitarist Kenneth “K.K.” Downing has once again addressed the question that has trailed him for well over a decade — whether he might ever share a stage with his old band again. His answer, delivered in a new interview, leaves little room for optimism: a reunion, he says, simply isn’t something the current members are after.
Speaking with Jonathan of “Are You Ready“, Downing revisited the experience of being honored alongside his former bandmates at the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. Asked whether the recognition meant something to him, the guitarist spoke warmly about the moment and what he hopes it might mean for the wider metal world.
“Yes. At the end of the day, I have to say now, having gone there and experienced the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and all of its grandiose production and theater and everything, that I think that it’s great. It’s great to have that accolade, and it’s something to hold because when you get to a certain time of life, I think it’s unique… Maybe just Black Sabbath and Judas Priest have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame of hardcore metal bands, so now hopefully again that can pave the way for all of the other great bands who you know to also be inducted as well, bands that deserve to be inducted, all of the other bands. And so hopefully we will see eventually Accept, Saxon and all of the other metal bands that we’ve known and loved and grown up with, eventually that they can be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame too,” he replied (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
When the conversation turned to whether he would welcome one more performance with Judas Priest, Downing was candid about the obstacles, both physical and personal, standing in the way.
“Well, it’s a situation now where age is a factor, a major factor for all of us. At the moment, unfortunately, Glenn [Tipton] is not able to participate. I think with Rob [Halford], Ian [Hill] and Scott [Travis] and myself, I think that we’re all okay, but I don’t know. I know Rob had some issues with cancer, but I think he’s okay now. But I think that it’s getting very late in the day. But I think the situation is, unfortunately, that with Rob, Ian and the guys in Judas Priest now, it’s absolutely not what they want. And so that is the situation,” he explained.
Downing walked away from Judas Priest in 2011, citing band conflict, poor management and what he saw as a decline in the quality of the band’s performances. The years since have been marked by a public back-and-forth between the guitarist and the group he helped build.
In 2019, Downing said he had reached out to Judas Priest about joining their 50th-anniversary tour, only to be told the band had no interest in including him in the festivities.
The roots of the rift run deep. In 2018, Downing revealed that he had sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to leave. The first was described as a graceful exit note that implied a smooth retirement from music, while the second was angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties. Downing later said he believed that second letter was a key reason he wasn’t asked to rejoin Priest after Tipton stepped back from touring.
In his 2018 autobiography “Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest“, Downing wrote that he told Tipton and Priest manager Jayne Andrews he had “hated” them both “since 1985.” He later unpacked that outburst in an interview with Classic Rock magazine.
“I was angry. Glenn had formed a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko situation. I didn’t like that,” he explained at the time.
Judas Priest received the Musical Excellence Award during the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, joining that year’s class, which also included Eminem, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics and Carly Simon in the Performers category.
The honor recognized current members Rob Halford, Ian Hill, Glenn Tipton and Scott Travis, alongside former guitarist K.K. Downing and late drummers Dave Holland and late Les Binks.
During the ceremony, Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis were joined onstage by Binks, Downing and current guitarist Richie Faulkner for a three-song performance featuring “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin‘”, “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight“.
Speaking recently with Germany’s Metal Hammer magazine, Rob Halford discussed the metal pioneers’ official documentary, “The Ballad Of Judas Priest.” Addressing the inclusion of Downing in the film, Halford made it clear that telling the band’s 50-plus-year story without the founding guitarist was never an option, noting that their shared history supersedes any lingering interpersonal drama.
“I think that respect is still there. I think that the love and respect that we still have for each other is still there. And the fact that he’s as important to Judas Priest now as he was then in telling the story, it had to be that way. It had to be that way — because he was there at the very beginning, before I even personally joined the band. So his value and the work that he created in his time with Judas Priest — the fact that we still play a lot of songs that K.K. wrote with myself and with Glenn [Tipton, Priest guitarist] — it’s really important and vital. And I think it sends a message out to the fans and to everybody else in the metal world that even though there is a separation from being included in the band, or not in the band, when we go out in today’s world, that’s irrelevant. The fact that we still do have this respect for each other is important,” Halford said at the time.
When pressed on the prospect of a potential reunion, the singer pointed to the guitarist’s own admissions in the new film.
“Well, I think what he said in the documentary was simple and straightforward and eloquent, that he wasn’t feeling certain things,” he explaiend.
“When you go to work with music, you really have to wanna get on that stage,” Rob continued. “You can’t hold anything back. You have to be there for the right reasons. If you’re not up there for the right reasons, then you don’t really have the right to be on that stage. You can’t just be going through the motions. If you’re just going there ’cause you want the check at the end of the tour, it’s none of that. It’s just a really potent internal feeling that makes you wanna get on that stage and give yourself with that amount of honesty and conviction to your fans. And if you’re not feeling that, then you do what K.K. did.”
