| K. K. Downing | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kenneth Keith Downing, Jr. |
| Born | 27 October 1951 West Bromwich, England |
| Genres | Heavy metal |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1968–2011 |
| Labels | Columbia |
| Associated acts | Judas Priest |
| Website | Official website |
| Notable instruments | |
| Gibson Flying V Hamer KK Downing Signature model |
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Kenneth "K.K." Downing, Jr. (born 27 October 1951 in Yew Tree Estate in West Bromwich, England) is a Grammy Award winning guitarist, songwriter and a founding member of the British heavy metal band Judas Priest. On April 20, 2011, Downing announced his retirement from Judas Priest.[1]
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Influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Downing bought his first guitar at the age of sixteen. According to an interview by Guitar One magazine, Downing found little support from his parents for his career of choice. This did not change even after Judas Priest achieved worldwide commercial success and critical acclaim. Together with his schoolmate and fellow band founding member Ian Hill, Downing was solely dedicated to the band for more than 42 years.
Downing has been noted for his aggressive, rock influenced guitar solos and dual leads with fellow Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton.[1] His solos have remained of this style for most of his career, but he has incorporated various techniques into his playing over the years. As opposed to Tipton, his solos tend to incorporate a more raw, rough-edged sound, making use of techniques like pinch harmonics, dive bombs, and tremolo picking, and often focus on speed, technical accuracy and melody. In 1978, Tipton began to incorporate tapping into his playing, which Downing promptly began to use as well. By 1990, both guitarists started to use the complex technique of sweep-picking, which can be notably heard on the title track of their 1990 album Painkiller. Both have continuously used these techniques ever since. Notable guitar solos are on such tracks as "Victim of Changes", the 2nd solo in "Beyond the Realms of Death", "Before The Dawn", "Sinner", "Don't Go", the 2nd solo in "Painkiller", and the live version of "Breaking The Law", although naturally which solos are most notable is debated among fans. Notable guitar duels are on such tracks as "Hellrider", "The Sentinel", "Ram It Down", "Metal Meltdown" and "Screaming For Vengeance".
In Judas Priest's early years, Downing made common use of the wah-wah pedal, but began to limit his use of it in the late '70s, and had abandoned use of it by the mid-'80s, save for during live performances of the songs that originally featured it. The only time since then that he has renewed use of it was in 1996, when vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens joined the band, and they began to experiment with their music more than before. One of these experimentations was the renewal of wah-wah in Downing's playing, which can be heard on their 1997 album Jugulator. This experimentation was taken further on their next album with Owens, 2001's Demolition, but was once more abandoned when the band's former vocalist, Rob Halford, returned to the band.
Downing officially retired from Judas Priest on April 20, 2011. An official press release was issued by the band. The band decided to continue with Richie Faulkner as a replacement for Downing.
Downing owns a home in Spain, but his main abode is Astbury Hall in Shropshire, England. It is in a very secluded area so he can (as stated in a 2007 interview) "blast his Marshalls."[2] Sarah Lissimore, his former girlfriend, mounted a legal challenge for half of Downing's Shropshire estate. This was based on his assertion, "I'd bet you'd love to be lady of this Manor, wouldn't you?". The High Court rejected the notion that this assertion could give rise to proprietary estoppel in favour of Lissimore.[3]
Downing was ranked 23 on rock magazine Hit Parader's list of 100 greatest metal guitarists.
Downing has many guitars, among them:
Amplifiers and effects
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