Judas Priest’s Glenn Tipton Blasts K.K. Downing: “His Accusations Have Gotten Sillier And Sillier”

Judas Priest's Glenn Tipton Blasts K.K. Downing: "His Accusations Have Gotten Sillier And Sillier"

Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton has a brand new interview in the February issue of Guitar World. In the interview Glenn Tipton replying to former Judas Priest guitarist K.K Downing‘s comments about him, Tipton said, “It’s time to say something, really because he’s saying things that he really shouldn’t be saying. They aren’t fair.”

Glenn Tipton has appeared on all of Judas Priest‘s albums with Ian Hill. Tipton and Downing played guitar together on 16 studio albums until Downing left the band.

Anyway, according to Judas Priest‘s management, after Downing left the band because he didn’t want to participate in the Farewell Tour, the 70-year-old guitarist made a lot of statements about the band and the process of leaving the band.

In his 2018 book Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest, Downing mentioned the reasons for leaving the band and stated that Glenn Tipton played a major role in his departure from the band. Downing says “I never found Glenn to be particularly easy to get along with. Very early on, I was fully aware of the limited conditions under which he operated. If you were going to relate to him, you would do so entirely on his terms.”

On the other hand, Glenn Tipton broke his silence in the new issue of Guitar World. In the interview, Tipton stated that he remained silent during these 10 years, but now it is time to respond to Downing‘s “silly” statements and said:

“I never wanted to get into a public argument after K.K. left,” he says. “I never said a word and I stuck to my guns for over 10 years, but there comes a point when you read things that have been said that are just crazy. It’s time to say something, really because he’s saying things that he really shouldn’t be saying. They aren’t fair.”

Glenn Tipton Says Judas Priest Is Made Up of Five Guys Working Together

Glenn Tipton says he finds it wrong for Downing to describe himself as the band’s driving force in his previous statements.

“He’s insinuated that he was the driving force of the band,” he continues. “It just isn’t true. Priest [is] made up of five guys working together. [There’s] not just one person driving the band.

“He’s said all these things that, I think, are meant to upset us and get us to say something in response and for a long time we didn’t. But I’ve got a lot to say and enough’s enough.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Tipton admitted that he deserved to respond to Downing after his words. Saying that it was unfair that Downing accused him of not doing anything with the band for over six years, Tipton explained why it happened.

“I would never have talked about Ken that way,” he said. “It’s just that his accusations have gotten sillier and sillier – and I deserve to respond. He left the band. We couldn’t convince him to stay.

“And then he accused me of taking six years off to write two solo albums. I only did the solo albums because we were inactive at the time while Rob was doing his solo things.”

Back in January 2021, Downing had commented on 4-piece Judas Priest. Saying that he was one of those who bemused after the decision, Downing had said it was extremely insulting. He also said it was very strange for Judas Priest to think about the possibility of playing as a 4-piece.

“I’m like everybody else,” Downing said. “I’m totally bemused. It was just so extreme and insulting in a way, I guess, and insulting to Glenn as well. It was kind of a slap in the face, saying, ‘Okay, you two guys did it, but we think just one guy could do what…’

“It kind of made us and everything that we’ve done and created, saying it was all superfluous, really, and didn’t really have the value that… I’m sure Glenn will agree with me that it does have a value.

“[This is] very, very strange for [them] to even think about [the possibility of going out as a quartet],” Downing adds. “There must be, obviously, something behind the scenes that we don’t know.

“It’s kind of awkward for me, guys, because with myself and Glenn, that’s Judas Priest to me. I think I’ve got a license to say that, after spending a lifetime in the band.

“And the image and everything and all the shows and all the work and all the albums and everything, everything revolves around that.

“I mean, if you don’t see Glenn’s red pants on stage, it’s not Judas Priest, right? Okay, I created an image with the flying V, long blond hair, leather and studs — I created that.

“It’s easy to use the wheel, but inventing it is a different story.”

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *