Richie Faulkner Opting Out of Playing Alongside Judas Priest at Rock Induction Concert

Richie Faulkner, the guitarist who took over for KK Downing in Judas Priest, is kindly offering to step aside as the Metal Gods play a concert in honor of their induction into the Rock Hall of Fame

In an interview with Metal Rules, Faulkner stated "From my point of view, I offered to opt out. I didn't need to be there. The guys wanted me there as part of the band. I'm part of the band in 2022. They wanted me there, even though I wasn't inducted. So that was really nice of them, and from my point of view, I was just happy to be there supporting them and being a part of the band in 2022. So it was a great night."

Faulkner describes himself as "a huge Judas Priest fan". So "to be part of a three guitar attack team, which Priest has never done before, as far as I'm aware...it was an experience. If it was a one time experience or whether it was something for the future, who knows? But even if it was a one time experience, it was just something to relish and just to remember forever, really. It was fantastic."

In a separate interview, front man Rob Halford praised Faulkner's ability to move forward, despite health issues plaguing him. "He's a miracle man." Halford stated, before continuing that Faulkner "needed to be there because originally he said 'I don't think I should be on stage.' I said 'Richie, you have to be on stage. It's important. I can't properly express the words - it's a feeling for me. I feel you need to be on stage with us' and so did everybody else. Everybody felt that way." He continued, by saying "it was important that he was on stage and showing people the wonders of survivability and the great things that the medical profession and healing and health world can do, and [with] the Lord's divine intervention, all of these things kept Richie with us. I said 'Richie, you need to be on that stage, especially if I do some hair whipping with K.K.' They do their hair whip!"