Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill has quit the band.
The 74-year-old heavy metaller has made the difficult decision to hang up his bass and retire amid a battle with arthritis and a shoulder injury that has made it nigh on impossible to play his beloved instrument.
In a typed-out statement shared on the band’s social media accounts on Friday (09.10.26), he said: “Hello everyone, for a long time now, when asked “how long can you continue” – I’ve always answered “until my performances suffer”….
“I hate to say it, but that time has come.
“For some years now, I’ve been struggling with the onset of the evil arthritis, which is now in an advanced state in my left shoulder and right hand, established in my right shoulder, and present in both knees.
“I’ve been fighting this with painkilling pills, gels, and recently with cortisone injections in my shoulder and hand.”
Ian was recently forced to miss his first concert since joining the band almost six decades ago, due to a nasty tendon injury, with Uriah Heep rocker Davey Rimmer stepping in at London Eventim Apollo on September 21. Davey has also been confirmed as Priest’s new bassist following Ian’s departure.
The statement went on: “Although, I was able to put bass lines to the songs for the new album, there were questions whether I’d be able to complete the recent European tour without incident, so we asked our good friend Davey Rimmer from Uriah Heep, and of course Elegant Weapons, to learn the set list to stand in for me if I had to pull out, which I did for the London show.
“This was due to me snapping a tendon in my left shoulder (as if I didn’t have enough problems with it!) just before the encores during the Brussels show two days before. This led to me not being able to lift my arm enough to reach the neck of my bass.
“So we had to call Davey to stand in for me, who put in an incredible performance at such short notice!”
After meeting with specialists, Ian decided to step back and spend quality time with his loved ones.
He said: “I’ve seen specialists, who suggest I might get away without surgery, but even if I don’t there’s no guarantee either way that l’ll have enough strength in my shoulder/arm to complete a whole stage show. (sic)”
He added: “In view of all this, and the fact that I’ve neglected my family life for fifty seven years, I’ve decided to retire and spend the remaining years making up for it, and doing things with them before it involves one of ’em pushing me around in a wheelchair. (sic)”
Giving Davey his blessing, he said: “The obvious choice for my replacement is Davey. He’s a great bassist, and a genuinely nice bloke who’ll fit the job perfectly, and I wish him the very best of luck!”
He concluded by thanking the fans for their support over the years.
He signed off: “There’s not a day goes by where I don’t give thanks for the incredible journey, I’ve lived through, and it just remains for me to say that I love you all, and thank you for the life you’ve let me live.”
Ian appeared on all of the band’s studio albums, from 1974’s Rocka Rolla to 2024’s Invincible Shield, and another collection due next year.