Ex-JUDAS PRIEST Guitarist K.K. DOWNING Responds to GLENN TIPTON, Says He Asked ‘Two Or Three’ Times To Be Reinstated

Okay.Okay. Downing has disputed Glenn Tipton‘s declare that Okay.Okay. “in no way approached” any of the members of JUDAS PRIEST about returning to the band earlier to Glenn saying his retirement from touring.

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In a contemporary interview with Guitar World journal, Tipton acknowledged that he and the rest of PRIEST‘s current lineup weren’t aware of Downing‘s need to return once more to the band as soon as they made their option to lease producer Andy Sneap to play guitar on the “Firepower” tour. “[K.K.] in no way approached any of the band and requested to rejoin, so for all we knew, he didn’t must rejoin,” Glenn acknowledged. “He acknowledged he wanted to go away the band after which go away the music commerce. He instructed us he was decided for a model new type of life.”

When Guitar World creator Jon Wiederhorn requested Tipton straight whether or not or not Downing expressed an curiosity in rejoining PRIEST for the “Firepower” tour, Glenn acknowledged: “No. Correct sooner than we acquired Richie [Faulkner to replace K.K. in 2011], [bassist] Ian [Hill] acknowledged, ‘Within the occasion you really want to return once more, you’d greater come once more now’ on account of we had been transferring on. Nevertheless he didn’t do one thing. He didn’t ask to return once more.”

The equivalent day that BLABBERMOUTH.NET revealed a number of of Tipton‘s suggestions from the Guitar World interview, Downing launched an audio assertion to this website disputing a number of of Glenn‘s assertions, along with the suggestion that Okay.Okay. would have been accepted once more into the JUDAS PRIEST camp for the “Firepower” tour.

Downing acknowledged: “There was not a spot for me throughout the band until Glenn retired. And when he did, I shortly, clearly, acknowledged that I was shocked and shocked to not receive a cellphone identify [asking me to return to the band]. At the moment, earlier to that, working backwards, that they had been all in love with Richie, [as] posted on [BLABBERMOUTH.NET], stating that not one of many followers are missing Okay.Okay. and Richie has launched a model new energy to the band. Moreover Ian instructed me straight in person that Richie was a incredible man and a incredible songwriter, no matter solely attaining two albums throughout the remaining 12 years. Nevertheless that’s curious.

“And on excessive of that, really, what the world doesn’t know, really, [is] that the farewell tour [in 2011] that we had been all planning to retire on and end the band, the ‘Epitaph’ tour, that was what I decided to not participate in,” he continued. “That was it. That’s what I believed I was doing — not leaving the band. On account of we had been all leaving the band; we had been all going to finish the band and retire. So I believed that that’s the one issue that I was doing — was not participating throughout the farewell tour, pretty simply because I really didn’t assume, with each half that was occurring, that I was going to profit from the tour from a musical standpoint. And I didn’t want to complete my prolonged, credible historic previous and legacy doing a tour for the followers that I wasn’t actually having enjoyable with.”

Downing added: “What people have no idea is in April that yr [2011], and I’ve the e-mails, I was chatting with Ian in April about altering my ideas, ‘set off all of my friends had been encouraging me to easily do the tour, saying, ‘You started the band. It’s good to finish it.’ So I was chatting with Ian, on and off, over per week, and I actually instructed him that I was reconsidering and requested him to ship me over the setlist, which he did. And I known as him once more and acknowledged, ‘It appears good,’ on account of setlists had been always a bone of competitors throughout the band, really. And the following day they launched a press launch that I retired from the band. That’s what people have no idea. So, clearly, I took from that they didn’t must embody me. They’d already type of, clearly, anointed themselves and purchased acquainted with Richie and it was a family and I was out. So, really, I take into consideration myself ousted as lots as the remaining, on account of no one aside from Ian acquired once more to me, known as me — no one from the administration, nothing. So I felt pretty dejected about all of that, really. So if that was the best way through which it was gonna be, that was the best way through which it was gonna be. Nevertheless, clearly, Glenn retiring was a very good different [for me to come back], on account of the musical issue and each half, the pressure between me and Glenn on stage, further so than one thing musically, I wasn’t happy with. So [this would have been a chance for] me [to] play alongside, clearly, a very competent participant like Richie.”

In step with Downing, he has written to his former bandmates in JUDAS PRIEST “on two or three occasions now — simply currently, more than likely since about 2017 — asking to be reinstated. Nevertheless even as soon as they chose to go as a four-piece [this past January, only to change their minds five days later], they in no way gave me any consideration, a chance to return once more into the band,” he acknowledged. “And I utterly am utterly happy they in no way would beforehand, no matter what Glenn says.”

Okay.Okay. went on to say that various business-related factors have arisen between him and JUDAS PRIEST which have contributed to the elevated rigidity between the two camps.

“Since about 2017… Beforehand they upheld their promise, though they in no way gave my any accounts, they may make disbursements to me for what I was promised — you acknowledge, part of what I was entitled to from each half that I was a part of; clearly merchandise, et cetera,” he acknowledged. “After which that every one stopped. I started to get approved letters. And I implored them, ‘Don’t go down this route. Let me come down. I’m utterly happy to sit spherical a desk and deal with any factors that needs to be talked about.’ They normally acknowledged no. And so the approved letters saved coming. They’ve ousted me as a director [of the PRIEST company Judas Priest Music Limited]. They’ve kicked me off the board, as a result of it’s three of them and one amongst me. I’m nonetheless a 25 % shareholder, nevertheless they acknowledged it’s worthless, it’s not worth one thing, they normally don’t pay me one thing of one thing that I was involved with — interval. So anyone that goes out and buys the Fiftieth-anniversary discipline set, I don’t get one thing from it. I’ve requested them if I’m gonna get one thing from it they normally haven’t returned my e-mails. And it’s the equivalent with any of the merchandise that you just see on sale on the venues or in retail or anyplace else.”

Downing moreover as quickly as as soon as extra acknowledged that PRIEST tried to forestall him from using the KK’S PRIEST title for his new band, throughout which he’s joined by ex-JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens, guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE). “Every me and my file label and administration acquired approved letters as soon as they tried to stop me going forward with my band, KK’S PRIEST,” he acknowledged. “We chosen to ignore the correspondence, taking the hazard that they might not take it any further. I’m glad to say that they haven’t. Nevertheless I’m not utterly happy that they tried to stop me doing what I do, significantly as soon as they denied me the prospect.”

Inside the Guitar World interview, Tipton acknowledged that he was okay with JUDAS PRIEST and KK’S PRIEST present on the equivalent time. “I merely need [K.K. would] develop up a bit and stop saying ridiculous points,” Glenn acknowledged. “I would favor to see every bands go on and experience heavy metal, as it’s best to do. It is going to be good to see our careers out collectively, even once we’re in quite a few bands.”

Okay.Okay. left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band battle, shoddy administration and declining top quality of effectivity. In 2018, Downing revealed that he despatched two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to cease JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as “a graceful exit remember, implying a clear retirement from music,” whereas the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with explicit occasions.” Downing later acknowledged that he believed the second letter was “a key objective” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton‘s option to retire from touring.

In his 2018 autobiography, “Heavy Accountability: Days And Nights In Judas Priest”, Downing wrote that he instructed Tipton and PRIEST co-manager Jayne Andrews that he had “hated” them every “since 1985.” Last yr, he outlined his outburst to Conventional Rock journal: “I was indignant. Glenn had formed a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko state of affairs. I didn’t like that.”

Downing has known as Faulkner his “clone” and revealed that he “in no way found” Tipton “to be notably easy to get along with. Very early on, I was completely aware of the restricted circumstances beneath which he operated,” Okay.Okay. wrote in his e-book. “Within the occasion you had been going to relate to him, you’d accomplish that absolutely on his phrases.”