JUDAS PRIEST guitarist RICHIE FAULKNER has stated plainly that he would not want to continue under the band's name if its classic founding members — ROB HALFORD, IAN HILL and GLENN TIPTON — were to step away.
Speaking in a recent interview, FAULKNER said: "If Rob, Glenn and Ian didn't wanna do it anymore... PRIEST, I think, means too much to limp along without those founding members." The guitarist, who joined the band in 2011 following TIPTON's temporary departure, acknowledged that building a legacy over five decades comes with real responsibility — the band's identity is inseparable from the architects who created it.
The current JUDAS PRIEST touring lineup features HALFORD and HILL from the band's original core, alongside FAULKNER, rhythm guitarist ANDY SNEAP, and drummer SCOTT TRAVIS. TIPTON, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2008, remains a non-touring member and appeared on the band's 2018 album Firepower.
FAULKNER also addressed the broader conversation about legacy acts that carry on under famous names despite losing key members. His take is pragmatic: if fans turn up in massive numbers, the market has spoken; if not, that is the answer. But for JUDAS PRIEST specifically, he draws a firm personal line — without its founders, the name should be retired with dignity.
JUDAS PRIEST remain one of heavy metal's most essential acts, having shaped the genre's leather aesthetic, twin-guitar attack, and operatic vocal tradition across landmark albums like Screaming for Vengeance, Painkiller, and Firepower. With HALFORD and HILL still active, the classic flame continues to burn.