K. K. Downing | |
|---|---|
 Downing in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kenneth Downing Jr. |
| Born | 27 October 1951 West Bromwich, England |
| Genres | Heavy metal, hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1968–2011, 2012, 2019–present |
| Member of | KK's Priest |
| Formerly of | Judas Priest |
| Website | kkdowning |
Kenneth Downing Jr. [1] (born 27 October 1951) is an English guitarist and a founding member of the heavy metal bands Judas Priest and KK's Priest.
Downing was born in West Bromwich, West Midlands. In the late 1960s, he developed a passion for rock music and the guitar, which led to his being kicked out of his home at age 15 and dropping out of school soon afterwards. [1] He is a mostly self-taught guitarist. [2] He was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix, whom Downing said he was "very quick to recognize" as the future. [2] He was also influenced by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and Eric Clapton. [3]
Downing started his first band, a pop band called Stagecoach, [4] between the age of 17 and 18 with his second cousin Brian Badhams on bass guitar (now with The Elkie Brooks Band) and drummer Martin Phillips. The trio "mainly jammed a few Cream songs and a few 12-bar blues". Downing played guitar with the band after winning a coin toss with Badhams "in his bedroom to see who would play guitar or bass". [2] K. K. Downing attended catering college and worked as trainee chef at the Lyttelton Arms [5] in Hagley. [6]
Downing is the cousin of football coach Keith Downing. [7]
Downing has an aggressive, rock-influenced guitar style featuring solos and dual leads with fellow Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton. [8]
Downing officially left Judas Priest on 20 April 2011, citing "an on-going breakdown in working relationships between myself, elements of the band and management for some time." He stated that there were at least "21 reasons" why he left, but refused to go into specific detail; [9] however, he did express disappointment in the band's live performance and thought it could have been better. [10] Judas Priest had since continued with Richie Faulkner as his replacement. [11]
Soon after Glenn Tipton announced his Parkinson's disease diagnosis and his self-imposed retirement from touring in February 2018, [12] Downing said that he was "shocked and stunned" that he wasn't approached to rejoin Judas Priest and was "officially and legally still a member of Judas Priest", despite not being present in the band. He felt that he made the right choice to leave when he did and that his time in the band and value in terms of crafting their legacy "was and is unappreciated by more than one member". He said that the decision of not being approached "was not a financial one". [13] Faulkner and Halford spoke in regards to his statement. [14] [15] [16] Bassist Ian Hill explained why he wasn't contacted to rejoin Judas Priest [17] [18] and the potential conflicts that would occur if he was brought back in the band. [19] Downing spoke negatively towards Hill's comments. [20] [21]
Downing explained why he left Judas Priest, [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] expressed his concerns towards his former bandmates, [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] and his feelings about Faulkner. [34] [35] [36] Faulkner spoke in regards to Downing's comments, [37] [38] [39] with former Judas Priest vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens speaking in Downing's defense. [40] In the limelight of Downing's comments, Hill said that Downing and the band have "parted company" musically, explaining that he had not been in contact with him "for the last couple of years because we've been so busy. But I think, musically, we've parted ways, really. Probably the less said, the better." [41]
Halford said that Downing spoke for himself and said that he wanted to retire and wished him well on his future endeavours. [16] Downing recalled the conflicts that occurred in the winter of 2010, and would then reconsider his departure a few months later, which is not mentioned in his autobiography. After speaking to bassist Ian Hill about the change, he received the setlist for the dubbed farewell tour, only to find out that his announcement to retire from the band was made public the next day, prompting him to send in his angry second letter. Downing felt that he never left Judas Priest and was orchestrated for him to not be there. [42]
Downing stated that he never retired from the music industry, detailing about being encouraged to perform on the farewell tour by a friend and being ridiculed by the fans about his announcement. After guitarist Glenn Tipton's dismissal from touring, Downing expected an opening for him to return, but was never notified. He said essentially the band is performing his songs and that if they can call themselves "Priest", he felt the need to be a Priest as well and be able to perform his songs. [43] Downing recalled being frustrated and having a breakdown at the end of 2010, leading him to quit the band. He said that he wasn't ready to perform on the farewell tour due to his issues that occurred during the Metal Masters Tour, saying that the band wasn't tight and felt that they weren't the same band as they were in their prime. He regretted sending in the retirement letter and not believing anything he wrote. He cited the second letter, telling the band to ignore everything written and explaining the reasons why he left, but the band preferred to tell the content of the first letter instead, in which he told the band to ignore what he wrote as misinformation. [44]
When speaking about the difference on working with Tipton in Judas Priest to working with guitarist A.J. Mills in his band KK's Priest, Downing said that he felt that he didn't have his fair share in lead work in Judas Priest as he should have. [45]
Downing's relationship with Judas Priest is not "overly sweet at the moment. Nothing lasts forever. I started in the late '60s, so certainly guys from that time, we're not going to be around forever. Obviously, we're losing a lot of good friends along the way. It is the way it is." An opportunity existed for him to return to the band, "and that has passed on." He expressed uncertainty if there would ever be another opportunity for him to rejoin, but did not dismiss it in the future. [46]
Downing explained that if he didn't rejoin Judas Priest, "then maybe it's best to just leave it there, really", feeling that there would be a different occupation for him, "Exactly what I don't know, really." [47] Hill said that there were no plans for him to return in the foreseeable future. [48] Downing had an open interest in having a discussion with his former bandmates in taking part in the band's 50th anniversary celebration in 2020, [49] but was not contacted, expressing doubt that he ever would rejoin Judas Priest again. [50] [51] [52]
Downing hoped to make amends with his former bandmates, "But it's proved not to be the case, so, obviously, I have to accept that and just move forward." [53] He clarified his comment from an article published by Blabbermouth, [54] and still held hopes for them to reconcile, "But to date the band have refused me that opportunity." [55] [56] Halford did not dismiss the possibility for Downing to return to Judas Priest in the future. [57] Downing requested for the members to step in and "speak to the press and just make a press release and tell 'em exactly what the deal is", and give "everybody an insight 'cause people wanna know." [58] He once again expressed an open interest in performing with Judas Priest again if given the opportunity, and also perform with them at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in 2020 if inducted, due to his inclusion in the band's ballot, [59] but was denied the possibility of returning to the band for the 50th-anniversary shows. Downing then made the decision to move forward as a result. [60] [61]
Downing said that he is not interested in rejoining Judas Priest as they became complacent, shifting his newfound attention to his own band KK's Priest. [62]
On 5 November 2022, Judas Priest were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as they received the Musical Excellence Award. Downing performed alongside the band for the first time since 2009 as they performed three songs to celebrate their achievement. [63] [64] [65] [66] Downing dismissed the possibility of performing with the band again as he expected for an open chance to be brought back as they were to perform as a quartet on the 50th anniversary tour, [67] but was denied by Tipton and Hill. He said that he offered them one last chance in hopes they wouldn't live to regret it. [68]
After not performing on stage since Judas Priest's 30th-anniversary celebration of the 1980 album British Steel in 2009, Downing made his live return at the 2019 edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival where he performed with former Manowar guitarist Ross the Boss [69] [70] as they played the songs "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)", "Heading Out to the Highway", "Breaking the Law" and "Running Wild". [71] He cited it being "a bit of a whirlwind" and the perfect way to get reintroduced to the stage. He also said that there was very little time for him to rehearse as some of the band members arrived the same day of their scheduled rehearsal, "But we did manage to squeeze an hour or so in the following day." He described the performance as being "a jam, really… And there was quite a bit of improvisation in there. And that's where it is." [72] In a Twitter response from a fan, Richie Faulkner praised Downing's performance upon viewing video footage of him, saying that he "looked and sounded great. Good to see the man up on stage where he belongs again." [73]
Downing, along with former Judas Priest members Tim "Ripper" Owens and Les Binks, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and Hostile guitarist A.J. Mills performed a special one-off show in Wolverhampton on 3 November 2019 and played a full set of Judas Priest songs. [74] [75] [76] [77] [78]
In January 2020, Downing signed with Explorer1 Music Group, which would pair him with veteran manager Andy Gould, and announced that he would work on brand-new music. [79] The following month, it was announced that Downing had formed a new band, KK's Priest, with bassist Tony Newton, guitarist A.J. Mills, and former Judas Priest members Tim "Ripper" Owens and Les Binks on vocals and drums, respectively. [80] [81] [82] [83] The band's debut album Sermons of the Sinner was originally scheduled to be released on 20 August 2021, but was postponed until 1 October. [84] A music video for the album's lead single, "Hellfire Thunderbolt", was released on 12 May 2021. However, Binks did not appear on the album as a result of a wrist injury and was replaced by Cage drummer Sean Elg. Later, Binks would occasionally perform live with KK's Priest. [85] [86]
When speaking to KNAC in June 2021 about Sermons of the Sinner, Downing said that he was already at work on material for the next album, which would be more of a collaboration effort than the first album. [87] In 2023, KK's Priest released their second album "The Sinner Rides Again". [88]
Downing made a guest appearance on Violent Storm's 2005 self-titled debut album, performing on the track "War No More". [89]
He appeared on the 2012 tribute album Who Are You? An All Star Tribute to the Who, which paid tribute to the Who. He performed on the track "Eminence Front", along with vocalist/bassist John Wetton, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Billy Sherwood. [90]
Downing appeared on former Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche-branded 2013 album Frequency Unknown , performing the guitar solo on "Running Backwards". [91] [92]
In 2018, Downing, along with former Judas Priest members Tim "Ripper" Owens and Les Binks, and Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera were featured in a cover version of the song "Beyond the Realms of Death", fronted by guitarist Paul Crook's band Devilstar, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Judas Priest's 1978 album Stained Class. [93]
On 18 September 2018, Downing published his autobiography titled Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest via Da Capo Press. It was written by Downing himself along with Mark Eglinton. The memoir details everything from "the complex personality conflicts, the business screw-ups, the acrimonious relationship with fellow heavy metal band Iron Maiden, as well as how Judas Priest found itself at the epicentre of a storm of parental outrage that targeted heavy metal in the '80s", according to the book's synopsis. It also tells about Downing's role in Judas Priest, as well as his decision to leave the band in 2011. [94] It was met with mostly positive reviews. [95] [96] [97] [98] [99]
Since its release, Rob Halford said that he has not taken the time to read Downing's autobiography while in production on his own. [100]
Downing's first house was a "tiny semi in Bloxwich". He has lived in Los Angeles and Florida but no longer owns a home in Spain, but his main abode since 1985 [101] remains Astbury Hall in Shropshire. It is in a very secluded area so he can (as stated in a 2007 interview) "really turn up [his] Marshalls really loud". [102] Astbury Hall is also home to a championship golf course, [103] a course created by Downing himself and where he has held publicised charity events. [104] Sarah Lissimore, his former girlfriend, mounted a legal challenge for half of his Shropshire estate. This was based on his assertion, "I'd bet you'd love to be lady of this Manor, wouldn't you?" The High Court of Justice rejected the notion that this assertion could give rise to proprietary estoppel in favour of Lissimore. [105]
In December 2013, it was announced that Downing would be teaming up with a property development finance provider, and golfer Darren Clarke, to help build luxury residential developments on Downing's Astbury estate. [106] [107]
Downing told the Shropshire Star : "We have had a fantastic season, things were going really well. We had plans for a hotel that we were doing really well with. Obviously there was a necessity for a funding element. "The company took out a short-term mezzanine fund in early August to take us through to March. This was essentially to bring in professional architects and a team from London. Everything was in place as far as we were concerned. "Unfortunately about six weeks into the loan we were served a loan termination notice about technical breaches of the agreement. "We are at the moment looking to re-finance that loan. We were taken aback that the funder was not more flexible with us as partners. It was put up for sale for £10 million ($13.5 million). Downing maintained that the development was financially stable and viable as he was set to build a luxury hotel for the Marriott Autograph collection and had hoped to host The Open Championship on the estate's golf course. [108]
Due to the circumstances surrounding his golf resort investment, Downing placed a share of his royalty rights for 136 Judas Priest songs for sale; the catalogue generates nearly £300,000 ($400,000) per year. Joint administrator Alastair Massey called the songs "a unique investment opportunity" from one of the "driving influences" of Judas Priest's success. [109] In July 2018, Round Hill Music acquired the royalty rights to Downing's compositions; the catalogue's asking price was at least £10 million ($13.5 million). [110] [111] Downing later explained about the sellings of his estate, his golf course and his royalty rights of 136 Judas Priest songs, "I'm in the process now of recovering everything else through the legal channels. I made a few rubbish business moves, but I can't complain really because I did okay. Lots of musicians end up with nothing really, but I had an evaluation on the estate worth in excess of £13 million. Quite a few million pounds' worth of music royalties and other assets as well. I'm suing my lawyers for negligence." [112]
Amplifiers and effects
KK's Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) movement, and are cited as a formative influence on various heavy metal subgenres, including speed metal, thrash metal, power metal, and the hard rock/glam metal scene of the 1980s. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with poor record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when their sixth studio album British Steel brought them notable mainstream attention.
Robert John Arthur Halford is an English heavy metal singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has been noted for his powerful and wide ranging operatic vocal style and trademark leather-and-studs image, both of which have become iconic in heavy metal. He has also been involved with several side projects, including Fight, Two, and Halford.
Glenn Raymond Tipton is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is the second longest-serving member of the band, after bassist and co-founder Ian Hill. Tipton and Hill are the only two members of the band who have appeared on every studio album.
Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with KK's Priest, Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and A New Revenge. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest and then Iced Earth. He took the nickname "Ripper" from the Judas Priest song "The Ripper" during his time in the tribute band British Steel.
Killing Machine is the fifth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in November 1978 by Columbia Records. The album pushed the band towards a more commercial style while still featuring the dark lyrical themes of their previous albums. At about the same time, the band members adopted their now-famous "leather-and-studs" fashion image, inspired by Rob Halford's interest in leather culture. It is the band's last studio album to feature drummer Les Binks.
Sad Wings of Destiny is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 26 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it such as "Victim of Changes" and "The Ripper" have since become live standards. It was the band's only album to feature drummer Alan Moore.
Jugulator is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released in Japan on 16 October 1997 and the rest of the world on 28 October 1997. It was their first studio album since Painkiller in 1990 and the first of two studio albums the band recorded without Rob Halford and with American lead vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens. Jugulator is the only Judas Priest album that has never been released on any major digital media website, due to SPV falling under and going bankrupt around 2009.
Demolition is the fourteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, and the first in the decade of the 2000s. It is the second and final studio album to feature Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals. It is also the only Judas Priest studio album to feature a Parental Advisory label on the album cover due to the songs "Machine Man", "Hell Is Home", and "Metal Messiah" containing profanity.
James Leslie Binks is a Northern Irish heavy metal drummer. He was the drummer for Judas Priest from 1977 to 1979.
Nostradamus is the sixteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, focusing on the 16th-century writer Nostradamus. It is a double album and a concept album. It was originally intended to be released in late 2006 before being pushed back to a 2007 release, and was finally released on 16 June 2008 on Epic Records. It is the last Judas Priest studio album to feature the Painkiller-era lineup with guitarist and founding member K. K. Downing retiring in April 2011.
The Epitaph World Tour was a concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, at the time intended to be the band's farewell tour. The tour commenced in June 2011 and concluded in May 2012. The tour was named after the 6th track from their Sad Wings of Destiny album.
Richard Ian Faulkner is an British-American guitarist best known as one of the lead guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011, replacing original member K. K. Downing. He has also performed with Lauren Harris, Christopher Lee, Voodoo Six, Deeds, and Ace Mafia.
Redeemer of Souls is the seventeenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, which was released in the US on 8 July 2014, in Europe on 11 July, and in the UK on 14 July. It is their first album without founding guitarist K. K. Downing, who quit the band in 2011 and was replaced by new guitarist Richie Faulkner. It also marks the band's last album to be produced by Glenn Tipton. The album sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to peak at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the band's first top 10 album debut in the US. It has sold 110,000 copies in the US as of February 2016.
Battle Cry is a live video released by Judas Priest on 25 March 2016 on DVD and on 1 April 2016 on Blu-ray. It was filmed at the Wacken Open Air festival on 1 August 2015 in front of a capacity of 85,000 people. A CD version was also released bundled with the DVD version as well. Both DVD and Blu-ray formats contain three bonus tracks recorded from their 10 December 2015 show at the Ergo Arena in Gdańsk, Poland.
Epitaph is a live video released by Judas Priest on DVD and Blu-Ray on 28 May 2013. It was filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo on 26 May 2012, which was the last date of the Epitaph World Tour, where they performed songs from each Halford-era album from Rocka Rolla to Nostradamus. The show was first seen in cinemas in New York City on 14 May and in London on 15 May with special screenings around the world on 16 May. It then premiered on VH1 Classic in the United States on 25 May.
Firepower is the eighteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. Released in 2018, it was the band's first studio album since 1988's Ram It Down to be produced by Tom Allom and the first one with Andy Sneap as co-producer. The album sold around 49,000 copies in the United States within its first week of release, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the band's highest-charting album in the US. The album also reached No. 5 in the UK, making it their first top-ten album in the UK since British Steel. Music videos were made for "Lightning Strike", "Spectre" and "No Surrender". A lyric video was made for "Never the Heroes". The record also produced three singles.
The Firepower World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, in support of the album Firepower. It ran from 13 March 2018 to 29 June 2019.
KK's Priest are an English heavy metal band, formed by former Judas Priest guitarist, K. K. Downing in 2020.
Invincible Shield is the nineteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 6 March 2024 by Sony in Japan, and globally two days later through Columbia and Epic Records. It was produced by the band's touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who also produced 2018's Firepower, while the album's last two tracks were co-produced by Tom Allom.
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