Judas priest

Judas Priest is a British traditional heavy metal band from Birmingham. Founded in 1969 by guitarist KK Downing and bassist Ian Hill, Judas Priest is one of the most influential bands in the heavy metal scene >>>>>, thanks to the extensive vocals of singer Rob Halford, his musical style characterized by the use of two solo guitarists, and his high performance pyrotechnics. He is also recognized as one of the leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal.

Judas Priest has also popularized the "heavy metal biker" look, with his leather clothes and metal nail bracelets. During its existence, the group knows many changes of drummers. Singer Rob Halford left the band in 1991 to lead a solo career, replaced by Tim "Ripper" Owens from the album Jugulator . Halford has since returned to the group in July 2003. In 2007, the group has more than 45 million albums sold worldwide.

Bassist Ian Hill and guitarist Glenn Tipton are the only two members of the current band to have been present without interruption since the group's first album.

It is the friendship between Kenneth Downing and Ian Hill that is at the origin of the group. The two men have known each other almost since their birth: they go to the same nursery and school in West Bromwich. As a teenager, they share a common interest in music, especially Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Who, and The Yardbirds. It is then that they decide to learn music: Downing chooses the guitar, Hill meanwhile opts for bass. In 1970, a barely known local band named Judas Priest (in reference to Bob Dylan's song: The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest , taken from the album John Wesley Harding) separates. Alan Atkins, the singer of this band, contacted Hill and Downing hoping to join their group. The latter accept and even adopt the name of Judas Priest. Under the influence of Downing, the band evolves from its original blues influences to hard rock and heavy metal.