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Ex-JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens says that it might be “improbable” if Ok.Ok. Downing‘s reunion along with his former bandmates on the upcoming Rock And Roll Corridor Of Fame induction led to the founding PRIEST guitarist’s official return to the legendary heavy steel act.
PRIEST will probably be inducted into the Rock And Roll Corridor Of Fame this fall. PRIEST will obtain the Musical Excellence Award on the occasion, which can honor Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon within the Performers class.
In line with the Corridor Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that may get inducted embody present members Rob Halford (vocals),Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),together with former members Downing, Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.
Owens, who at the moment performs in a brand new band with Downing known as KK’S PRIEST, addressed Ok.Ok.‘s upcoming induction into the Rock Corridor whereas filming a video message on Cameo, the net platform that permits followers to purchase personalised video messages from celebrities. Chatting with a fan named Tom who was celebrating his birthday, Tim stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I do know you are a PRIEST fan. Hopefully you will see Ok.Ok. and myself on the market doing it. I imply, who is aware of? Possibly the Rock And Roll Corridor Of Fame factor will get Ok.Ok. again in JUDAS PRIEST. Who actually is aware of what is going on on? Which might be improbable, would not it? However I would prefer to see KK’S PRIEST on the market touring.
“The factor is we’ll do it,” Tim continued. “We’re simply behind on touring due to COVID… What folks do not realize is a tour of KK’S PRIEST‘s measurement, these type of excursions had been booked years in the past — years and years in the past — earlier than COVID. After which COVID stopped all of it. So all of the excursions like this previous 12 months and arising, just about all of those excursions had been within the works. [It’s] laborious for a brand new band to have the ability to do this. I can get out and do some solo touring as a result of I am taking part in golf equipment in small venues like that — thousand seaters and underneath; thousand seaters to fifty. [Laughs] However I may do this.”
Ok.Ok. departed the long-lasting band 11 years in the past however regarded again on his time with the British steel titans in his autobiography “Heavy Obligation: Days And Nights In Judas Priest”, which got here out in September 2018. The ebook, which was written with collaborator Mark Eglinton, covers the entire behind-the-scenes turbulence that led to Downing‘s exit from PRIEST, together with his strained relationship with guitarist Glenn Tipton and his gripes with sure managerial choices.
This previous January, Owens defended Downing over the feedback the ex-PRIEST guitarist made about his former bandmates in his autobiography, explaining that Downing is simply telling the reality. Throughout an look on “The Jasta Present”, the podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, Owens stated that Downing had each proper to inform his story, together with insider particulars on band collaborations and machinations. “Hear, he simply instructed truths within the ebook,” Owens stated. “He instructed truths, and also you get crap for it. Sadly, that is what occurs. Ought to he have stated all of the issues? He was harm. Issues occurred. It did not go proper. He talked about it in his ebook. If he did not inform these issues and he made a ebook that was nearly different stuff, folks would have stated, ‘Why did not he speak concerning the different stuff?’ And then you definately do the interviews, and folks stated, ‘Ok.Ok. must cease bringing these factors up.’ And I am, like, ‘Nicely, no. He is being requested about these factors. After which he is answering the questions.’ After which it is on the entrance of Blabbermouth that no matter…”
In line with Owens, tensions between Downing and Tipton had been brewing for fairly a while earlier than Ok.Ok.‘s exit from the group.
“I noticed it throughout [the] ‘Demolition’ [album cycle],” he stated. “We weren’t even collectively hardly at [the time we made] ‘Demolition’; it was by no means Glenn and Ken collectively ever. I’d go to Ken‘s home on the weekends and we’d hang around and have a pint, play some snooker. And it was brewing then. And, clearly, cash helps out, so that you get Rob again and also you get your tens of millions again and you are not taking part in [smaller venues] anymore.”
Tim, who lately launched a brand new band with Ok.Ok. known as KK’S PRIEST, went on to say that Downing does not ever convey up any grievances along with his former bandmates throughout their interactions. “He nonetheless does not say dangerous issues about these guys after we’re collectively; he by no means talks dangerous about ’em — ever,” he stated. “You already know why? As a result of I do not ask any questions on it. I am not the man interviewing him going, ‘So, what did….?’ I do not actually wanna know — I do not wanna find out about it. I learn the ebook. I do know what is going on on. All that stuff that he talked about, I knew half of it, that went on. However folks ask him, so it appears like he is whining. He does not stroll into an interview going, ‘All proper. Let me inform you concerning the soiled laundry. Let’s discuss this.'”
The 2022 Rock Corridor induction ceremony will probably be held on November 5 on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It is going to air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There can even be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM‘s Rock & Roll Corridor Of Fame Radio channel 310.
Earlier this week, Halford instructed Rolling Stone that he was open to performing with Downing and Binks on the Rock Corridor ceremony. “Completely,” he stated. “As I stated earlier than, you have to push apart something that will get in the best way. You have to take away the emotional muddle and simply reference this nice celebration. In any other case, if you happen to do not do this, and you permit the constructing, a few years later you will go, ‘What the hell? Why did not we do this?’ It is a couple of hours, however these few hours final endlessly.
“We have seen it time and time once more with the Rock Corridor. ‘She’s coming, he is not coming, why is not he coming? He stated this, and he stated that,'” he continued. “All this drama. The music issues. It is all concerning the music. It is all concerning the Rock And Roll Corridor Of Fame induction.”
In 2019, Downing stated that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about participating within the band’s Fiftieth-anniversary tour however that their response was that they weren’t keen on together with him within the celebrations.
In 2018, Downing revealed that he despatched two resignation letters to his bandmates when he determined to stop JUDAS PRIEST. The primary was described as “a swish exit notice, implying a clean retirement from music,” whereas the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with particular events.”
Downing later stated that he believed the second letter was “a key purpose” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton‘s choice to retire from touring.
PRIEST recruited Owens in 1996 and launched two studio albums, 1997’s “Jugulator” and 2001’s “Demolition”, earlier than reuniting with Halford in 2003.
