Judas Priest’s Rob Halford has shared a new photo of himself reuniting with the band’s ailing lead guitarist Glenn Tipton.
Tipton announced in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and would be sitting out of the metal band’s ‘Firepower’ world tour. He was diagnosed four years earlier but doctors informed him that he had been living with the condition at least half a decade before that.
According to a statement released by the band at the time, the disease’s progression left him unable to play the Judas Priest’s more complex material. He was replaced by ‘Firepower’ producer Andy Sneap.
Earlier today (December 20), Halford took to Instagram to share a pic of he and Tipton, seemingly taken at one of their respective homes in the UK as they prepare to celebrate the festive season with their families.
“Merry metal motivational,” Halford captioned the image, which sees the pair posing in front of a Christmas tree, with Tipton giving a thumbs up and Halford throwing up the horns. You can see the post below.
In a recent interview with Spain’s Mariskal Rock, Halford was asked if Tipton will be involved in the recording sessions for Judas Priest’s next album.
“There’s ways of doing this. Glenn can still play the guitar. He plays it differently, but he can still play,” Halford answered. “He walked out with us on Bloodstock recently [and played] ‘Metal Gods’, ‘Breaking The Law’ and ‘Living After Midnight’, I think it was. He can play. So he’ll be on this next album. Whatever work he does, he’s valuable — really important. He’s a member of Judas Priest. He’s still there.
“He’s still an important component of this band and what this band represents, particularly in the writing sense. He made a massive contribution to the songs that we have so far. And we’ll still keep writing — we’ll still keep putting together the ideas. ‘Cause you can never not stop writing. The calendar tells you, the label says, ‘We would like a record blah blah,’ because it takes months to prepare and then months of promotion. And the clock is ticking.”
He continued: “So, yeah, he’s good, man. He’s still a fighter. He never lets anything stop him. He’s a great force for people that are living their lives actively and productively with Parkinson’s. So he’s still very much [like] that ‘No Surrender’ song — a heavy metal hero.”
Meanwhile, Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner faced a health setback recently when he suffered “an aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection” during the band’s performance at Louisville’s Louder Than Life festival in September.
The 41-year-old was rushed off stage and immediately underwent a 10-hour surgery, where five parts of his chest were replaced with “mechanical components”.
Last month, Faulkner has given an update on his health in a post on Judas Priest’s official Instagram page.
“Hello there, maniacs! I just wanted to post, and I’ve had many of you asking for an update on how my recovery is going,” he began. “I was able to return home from hospital 10 days after my surgery to continue recovery at home. It has now been 7 weeks since the night it all happened and I’m feeling very strong and positive.
“My incisions have healed very well and I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m walking well and moving freely, I’m pretty active and I’m starting cardiac therapy very soon.”
He continued: “I’m playing guitar everyday and with the love and support of my family, the continued support from you guys and the inspiration that I get from the guitar, I’ll be back on stage in no time! My surgeons are very pleased with my progress and have all reserved front row tickets for the next Priest show, haha.
“It’s Thanksgiving this month, and whether you celebrate it or not, I have a lot to give thanks for this year; Including all of you for your patience, your love and your support. Lots of love and I’ll see you down the front soon, horns held high. -Richie”
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