Former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens says that it would be “fantastic” to see K.K. Downing rejoin the legendary British metal band.
Although nothing is confirmed, K.K. has expressed interest in rejoining his former bandmates for a live performance at their upcoming Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. However the guitarist notes that “a lot can happen” between now and then.
JUDAS PRIEST will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this fall, receiving the Musical Excellence Award.
The members of JUDAS PRIEST up for induction into the Rock Hall include current members Rob Halford (vocals),Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Downing, Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.
Owens, who is the singer for the new band KK’s PRIEST which features K.K. Downing, addressed the guitarist’s upcoming induction into the Rock Hall while filming a video message on Cameo. Speaking to a fan named Tom who was celebrating his birthday, Tim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I know you’re a PRIEST fan. Hopefully you’ll see K.K. and myself out there doing it. I mean, who knows? Maybe the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame thing will get K.K. back in JUDAS PRIEST. Who really knows what’s going on? Which would be fantastic, wouldn’t it? But I’d like to see KK’S PRIEST out there touring.
“The thing is we’ll do it,” Tim continued. “We’re just behind on touring because of COVID… What people don’t realize is a tour of KK’S PRIEST’s size, those kind of tours were booked years ago — years and years ago — before COVID. And then COVID stopped it all. So all the tours like this past year and coming up, pretty much all of these tours were in the works. [It’s] hard for a new band to be able to do that. I can get out and do some solo touring because I’m playing clubs in small venues like that — thousand seaters and under; thousand seaters to fifty. [Laughs] But I could do that.”
The 2022 Rock Hall induction ceremony will be held on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max.