Judas Priest Reunite with K.K. Downing at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Set

2022-11-06

Judas Priest are headlining and curating the fill lineup for the 2021 Warlando Festival.

Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford – Story and photo by Anne Erickson

Former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing reunited with the band for a set at the Rock Hall induction

Judas Priest once again shared the stage with former guitarist K.K. Downing for a performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night (Nov. 5) in Los Angeles, California. Rob Halford and company were also joined by former drummer Les Binks for the special performance.

Alice Cooper inducted Judas Priest into the Rock Hall, as the longstanding metal band accepted the Musical Excellence Award. Cooper stated, “They’re electrifying on stage and one of the hardest-hitting live bands in the history of rock and roll. Priest has carried the flag of hard rock and heavy metal proudly for something like 50 years, never wavering or following trends or pretending to be anything but exactly what they are.”

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford took the stage to accept the honors. In his acceptance speech, he said, “I’m the gay guy in the band. You see, that’s what heavy metal is all about. We call ourselves a heavy metal community that is all-inclusive, no matter what your sexual identity, how you look, the color of your skin, what you believe in. Do it or don’t believe it. Everyone is welcome.”

The Priest lineup for the evening included Halford and fellow current band members bass player Ian Hill, guitarist Richie Faulkner, guitarist Glenn Tipton and drummer Scott Travis. They took the stage with Downing and Binks for a three-song set that featured the band’s classics, including “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight.”

For a while, there was a question as to whether Downing would be present at the ceremony. Faulkner replaced Downing in 2011, and the Rock Hall performance was the first time the two musicians have shared the stage for Judas Priest set.

The Judas Priest members inducted into the Rock Hall included Binks, Downing, Halford, Hill, Tipton, Travis and late drummer Dave Holland. In addition to the Judas Priest cuts, during the ceremony, Halford and fellow inductee Dolly Parton came together to perform “Jolene.”

Watch footage of Halford’s acceptance speech, as well as clips of Judas Priest’s performance and the all-star performance of “Jolene” below. The ceremony will air on HBO on Nov. 19.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.