A lot of Judas Priest fans are still reeling over the departure of long-time guitarist K.K. Downing, who stepped down from the band before they began their recent Epitaph World Tour. Downing had been a part of Judas Priest for over 40 years at the time of his departure, having been a founding member of the band in 1970.
The Valley Radio Online recently conducted a video interview with K.K. at his home, where he discussed his decision to leave the band and clarified some of the rumors surrounding his departure, including making clear that his motivation was leaving was not to focus on golf.
From the interview, it's clear that K.K. would have liked to continue in Priest, but was unhappy with the working relationships between the members. He was careful, however, not to reveal specifics, saying: "I mean, certain reasons I will never, ever disclose."
You can watch the entire 16-minute interview below.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Josh Hart is a former web producer and staff writer for Guitar World and Guitar Aficionado magazines (2010–2012). He has since pursued writing fiction under various pseudonyms while exploring the technical underpinnings of journalism, now serving as a senior software engineer for The Seattle Times.
“What I do with the trem arm is not an exact science. It’s more like an absurdist alchemy”: Imperial Triumphant guitarist Zachary Ezrin showcases his wild whammy technique on Eye of Mars – and a Gibson with the Midas touch
“I don’t practice, because I don’t think that practicing in itself is necessary”: Yes icon Steve Howe on why he rarely runs scales, thrashing acoustics – and why you won’t catch him playing unfamiliar guitars