Rob Halford of Judas Priest recently gave an interview to The Guardian . Halford recounts how his bandmate Glenn Tipton has been battling Parkinson's disease remarkably well. The guitarist is 76 years old and has lived with the diagnosis for almost 15 years.
For Rob Halford, it's very important to see how the fans understand Glenn's importance to the band. He also talked about how Glenn's contribution to the new album , Invincible Shield, was crucial . Regarding Glenn, Halford added: “ He’s such a strong man. It’s like any of these challenges, a lot of it depends on how you fight back. And he fights back all the time.”
Next, the vocalist spoke about Tipton's relationship with Ozzy Osbourne : "Glenn and Ozzy [who also lives with Parkinson's disease] keep in touch. They're both cut from the same cloth, with that kind of British 'let's move on' attitude."
In September 2020, Halford told BBC Sounds about Tipton: “He’s a wonderfully strong and handsome man… He can still play the guitar, albeit in a particular way. Parkinson’s disease is a really cruel, terrible, awful thing to happen to anyone – to see the physical debilitation it creates.”
Even after retiring from touring in 2018, Glenn occasionally joins Priest on stage for a few songs. He usually plays "Metal Gods," "Breaking The Law," and "Living After Midnight.".
Glenn Tipton created a foundation to raise funds for Parkinson's research
Glenn Tipton created a foundation, The Glenn Tipton Parkinson's Foundation , to raise money for research into the treatment and cure of Parkinson's disease. Four months after his diagnosis was announced, Glenn created the foundation. Since 2018, it has already received more than $150,000.
The foundation continues to raise funds for research, and anyone can donate. Judas Priest also offers t-shirts on their website , with proceeds from sales going to the foundation.
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