(Rock News Desk) Judas Priest came close to splitting up when KK Downing told them he'd decided to retire from the band. And guitarist Glenn Tipton reveals they'd never have toured again if they hadn't found the right man in new member Richie Faulkner. Downing dropped his bombshell in December but the band only revealed he'd left when they announced their Epitaph final world tour in April. They're working on a new album with former Lauren Harris axeman Faulkner and do plan to play further live shows – but they won't be embarking on any more large-scale global treks.
"It was a difficult time for us. We almost gave up; and if we hadn't found Richie I don't think we'd be here today," Tipton tells Everything Rocks. "It had to be the right man for the job – we had to find that spark or it wouldn't have worked. We could have looked and looked, and never found the right person." more on this story
