Rob Halford has revealed that Judas Priest is planning to mark the band’s 50th anniversary in 2019 with a special celebration.
“We are, yes,” he told Sara Parker of Philadelphia’s 93.3 WMMR radio station in a new interview (as per blabbermouth.net). “We’re already having these discussions every now and again in the band and with our label and with our promoters and management. We have some ideas and when we get close to solidifying something, we’ll let you guys know.”
He added, “It’s gonna be a great year. What a celebration. Another incredible milestone for Judas Priest that we’re looking forward to sharing with everybody.”
Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of the band, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left Priest in the early 1990s to form his own band, then returned in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.
Judas Priest will be hitting the road at the end of August for a co-headlining run with fellow classic heavy rockers Deep Purple, see dates below.
Deep Purple And Judas Priest Tour Dates:
8/21 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center
8/22 — Chicago, IL — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
8/24 — Detroit, MI — Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
8/25 — Mt. Pleasant, MI — Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort
8/27 — Hamilton, ON — FirstOntario Centre
8/29 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre
8/30 — Quebec City, QC — Centre Videotron
9/1 — Wantagh, NY — Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
9/2 — Bethel Woods, NY — Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
9/5 — Darien Center, NY — Darien Lake Amphitheater
9/6 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center
9/8 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
9/9 — Camden, NJ — BB&T Pavilion
9/11 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion
9/12 — Jacksonville, FL — Daily’s Place
9/14 — Atlanta, GA — Verizon Amphitheatre
9/16 — Biloxi, MS — Mississippi Coast Coliseum
9/18 — Kansas City, MO — Starlight Theatre
9/20 — Welch, MN — Treasure Island Casino
9/21 — Council Bluffs, IA — Harrah’s Council Bluffs
9/23 — Denver, CO — Pepsi Center
9/26 — San Diego, CA — Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
9/27 — Irvine, CA — FivePoint Amphitheatre
9/29 — Mountain View, CA — Shoreline Amphitheatre
9/30 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre
7 Responses
All hail the mighty Priest.
D 🙂
amen, dana. i had the pleasure of meeting them and seeing them live earlier this year. they’re still bringing it despite this that and the other. they’re rocking hard into their 50th year. i salute them! looking forward to the purple priest show.
Meeting them, lucky you…
D 🙂
I saw them when they brought the Firepower tour to Dallas and they were amazing. Even without Glenn, they killed it. Andy Sneap has my respect and Ritchie has become a driving force in the band. I hope Glenn continues to make appearances. He played the encore at the Dallas show and the place erupted when he walked out on stage. I see no reason for them to stop. The core of the band is strong and they are still a force to be reckoned with.
Congratulations to the mighty JUDAS PRIEST! The most recent release “Firepower” is a terrific record, and I hope to catch them on their current tour.
I usually hate being that guy – but if KK isn’t apart of these celebrations this will be a waste.
Also a Les Binks appearance along with KK would have me travelling to one of these Celebration Shows.