Glenn Tipton , guitarist for Judas Priest KK Downing 's allegations regarding the band's dynamics and the circumstances of their split, which he considers unfair.
A founding member of Priest, Downing left the band in 2011, before the Epitaph World Tour, originally planned as the group's farewell shows. Since then, Downing has publicly shared his dissatisfaction with his former bandmates, especially Tipton , in interviews and in his memoir Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest , released in 2018.
In a recent interview with Guitar World , Glenn Tipton responded to comments from his former bandmate. “I never wanted to get into a public argument after KK left. I didn’t say a word and held my ground for over 10 years, but there comes a point where you read things that have been said that are just crazy. It’s time to say something, really, because he’s saying things he really shouldn’t be saying. They’re not fair,” he said.
According to Tipton, his colleague did not hold a leadership position, contrary to what he might imply. “He implied that he was the driving force of the band. That’s not true. Priest is five guys working together. [There isn’t] just one person running the band,” he continued. “He said all these things that, I think, are meant to irritate us and make us say something in response, and for a long time we didn’t. But I have a lot to say, and that’s enough.”.
Guitar World magazine recalls a personal accusation by Downing about Tipton drinking before and during shows, supposedly "slowing down" the rest of the band. "Everyone knows that's not true. As I said, the fans aren't stupid and they've been seeing me play around the world for 50 years. I may have had a few beers on stage, but that's all. It never affected the show or my performance and he knows that," Tipton responded.
Tipton expressed sadness at having to publicly refute Downing's comments. "I would never have spoken about Ken in that way. It's just that his accusations have become increasingly ridiculous – and I deserve a response. He left the band. We couldn't convince him to stay," he explained.
