K.K. Downing initially did not want to join Judas Priest in its historic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction.
Judas Priest's fans finally saw the original members of the band on one stage again during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction on Nov. 5. The current members - Rob Halford, Ian Hill, Glenn Tipton, and Scott Travis - welcomed its former members, K.K. Downing and Les Binks, to the stage, as well.
However, the highly-anticipated reunion almost never happened at all.
In an interview with MetalTalk, the guitarist revealed that he originally planned to miss the induction. However, he changed his mind and officially marked his first stage performance with the band since his exit in 2011. It also became the first time he met his replacement, Richie Faulkner.
"I have a lot of things on at the moment and initially I thought, 'It's a lot of fuss,'" he said. "Can I really be bothered with going all the way over to Los Angeles to play three songs and break the ice with the guys? But when I reflected on it, it was the band I started 50 years ago, and I would probably regret it if I didn't go."
If he did not attend the event, Downing would not be able to meet Faulkner. According to the guitarist, their meeting could have been awkward. However, things happened differently as they shared the stage and jammed together without a problem.
He then expressed his respect for him and wished him well in his other projects outside Judas Priest.
Judas Priest Welcomes K.K. Downing Wholeheartedly
Before Downing joined Judas Priest on stage, the band's frontman told Billboard that he is pleased for everybody.
According to Halford, there is no bitterness or angst between the bandmates. If there is a negative feeling toward one another, he told everyone to push it to the side and respect the opportunity that came in Judas Priest's way.
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Previously, he revealed that the band's founding guitarist decided to leave the band over a decade ago as the guitarist reportedly wanted to retire and focus on other things.
Instead of stopping him, Halford decided to wish him well and good luck with everything Downing wanted to do. He also did not rule out the potential reunion between the members, which eventually happened this year.
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