Judas Priest

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, formed in 1969. The core line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarist Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years, though Travis has held the position since 1989 and is the longest-serving. They have been cited as an influence on many heavy metal musicians and bands. Their popularity and status as one of the definitive heavy metal bands has earned them the nickname "Metal Gods" from their song of the same name. They have sold over 50 million albums worldwide. They were named the 78th greatest artist of all time by VH1 in 2010 and 2nd Greatest Metal Band by MTV (after Black Sabbath). The band got its name from the Bob Dylan song "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest", according to original vocalist Al Atkins. They are known for a twin lead guitar style, Halford's wide operatic vocal style, and for introducing the S&M leather and studs look into heavy metal. As of 2011, bassist Ian Hill has remained the only founding member of the band, due to guitarist K.K. Downing's retirement from the group.