Judas Priest, Glenn Tipton 2nd from right (Credit: Justin Borucki)Judas Priest has announced that longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton has been battling Parkinson’s disease and won’t join the band for their 2018 tour in support of their upcoming studio album, Firepower.
The veteran metal group explains in a statement, “Ten years ago Glenn was diagnosed to have the onset of the early stages of Parkinson’s — from then until recently Glenn has lived his life as the great heavy metal guitar player he has always been, maintaining by his own definition a standard of quality and performance that is incredibly important…Right now Glenn is able to play and perform some of the Priest songs that are less challenging but due to the nature of Parkinson’s progression he wants to let you all know that he won’t be touring as such.”
Tipton, meanwhile, notes that he’s “not leaving the band,” suggesting that he’s expecting to play with Priest at select shows.
“I don’t rule out the chance to go on stage as and when I feel able to blast out some Priest!” he says in the message. “So at some point in the not too distant future I’m really looking forward to seeing all of our wonderful metal maniacs once again.”
Stepping in for Tipton on the forthcoming trek, at Glenn’s request, will be Andy Sneap, who co-produced Firepower and has worked with many other heavy metal acts.
In a joint statement, Tipton’s Priest band mates call Glenn “a true metal hero, adding, “We…thank Andy for joining us to make Glenn’s wishes become real — as Glenn has said we also can’t wait to have him with us at any time any place on the road…We love you Glenn!”
Judas Priest’s tour kicks off March 13 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, four days after Firepower is released.
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