Glenn Tipton is not touring with Judas Priest due to the progression of Parkinson's disease
Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton says he doesn't really know what his role in the band will be now that he's stepped away due to health problems.
Tipton discovered he had Parkinson's disease four years ago, after having suffered from the illness for at least half a decade prior, but only recently announced he would be absent from the tour for Firepower , the band's latest album. The guitarist, now 70 years old and who has played on every Judas Priest album since their 1974 debut, Rocka Rolla, is not leaving the band, but is unable to cope with the rigorous challenges of live performances. He is being replaced on tour by Firepower Andy Sneap, also known for his work as guitarist for the band Hell.
Asked how he sees his role in Judas Priest going forward, Tipton told David Fricke, host of SiriusXM Volume (see video below): “That’s a question I can’t answer. I’ll see how things go. The medication is improving. Every day is different, some days it’s worse, some days it’s better, but I didn’t want to compromise the best heavy metal band in the world, so, for safety, Andy is there now, and that’s all I can say. But I love this band, it’s been my life, and maybe I’ll write more and record – maybe even do a few more tours, it’s an unanswerable question. It’s in the lap of the metal gods.”
