KK Downing explained the reason for choosing the name KK's Priest for the band with former members of Judas Priest and opened up about his bitterness at leaving the band he helped found.
In a conversation with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM , the guitarist spoke about the name which, in a free translation, would be "KK's Priest". "I thought it was justified for me, because of my long legacy and, obviously, because I've been there since the beginning, that I still had the right," he explained (via Blabbermouth ).
Rob Halford 's dedication Glenn Tipton 's alcohol abuse at shows. "All of this was causing me increasing irritation," he confided.
Despite the setbacks, KK Downing insists he would have done a final tour with Judas Priest in 2011. According to the guitarist, he even received the setlist for Ian Hill and bought a German guitar especially for the tour, but he resigned for the second time after a press release about his departure from the band was published.
“But a press release came out the next morning, and that’s when I got really angry and sent my second [resignation] letter,” he said. “Which is a sad situation, because I was expecting the guys. But nobody – not even Ian, who I was talking to – was really encouraging me. And I felt very discouraged.”
Even after these disagreements, Downing tried to return to his former band, but without success. “The door was closed, I think. Because I wrote to the guys on two or three different occasions to have them take me back, but the answer was no,” he continued. “So, I moved on with KK's Priest. I feel justified and I will do it.”
KK's Priest consists of vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens and drummer Les Binks , both former members of Judas Priest , along with guitarist AJ Mills and bassist Tony Newton . The group's first album is scheduled for release in August of this year.
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