JUDAS PRIEST's IAN HILL Says It's A 'Pity' That RICHIE FAULKNER And TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS Aren't Being Inducted Into ROCK HALL

JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill says that he and his bandmates had no say in which former and current members of the group will get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

JUDAS PRIEST will be inducted into the Rock Hall next month. PRIEST will receive the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which will honor Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that will get inducted include current members Rob Halford (vocals),Hill, Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members K.K. Downing (guitar),Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

The 2022 Rock Hall induction ceremony will be held on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There will also be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Radio channel 310.

Asked in a new interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz if JUDAS PRIEST was involved in the decision-making process about who gets inducted into the Rock Hall, Hill said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. That's all the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame people. They induct who they think is worthy [laughs], for want of a better word. So Ken's [K.K.] gonna be there. He's been a huge part of the band from its inception right up until he left about 10 years now. And, of course, Les Binks is gonna be there as well. And it's a shame poor old Dave Holland, he didn't make it. He's being inducted [as well]. Unfortunately, he died a couple of years ago now, which is a shame, really. But, yeah, everybody that's up there deserves it greatly."

Pressed about whether he would personally do it differently, if he could, and make sure that current PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner and former PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens were also being inducted, Ian said: "Richie's gonna be there anyway. He's gonna be up on stage; he's gonna be playing with us anyway.

"I think one of the parameters is you have to have played for the band for 25 years or something like that, or over the last 25 years," Ian said. "And it's got nothing to do with us. If it was up to us, we probably would have inducted [Richie and] Ripper. But it's not up to us. We had no say, really. Pity, but it is what it is."

Ian also confirmed that PRIEST will perform with three guitarists and two drummers for the first time at the Rock Hall, with Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis set to be joined by Faulkner, Binks and Downing at the event. "It's gonna be special, I think," Hill said. "Either that or it will all implode. [Laughs]"

Asked if he has any hesitation about playing with K.K. again, Ian said: "Not really. He deserves to be up there with us. He really does. Like I say, he played an immense part in the band while he was there. So, yeah, I've got no problem with him being up there at all."

Earlier in the month, Travis told the "Rocker Morning Show"'s Mark Frankhouse of the 107.7 RKR radio station that he and his bandmates will perform "a medley" of PRIEST classics at the Rock Hall induction ceremony.

JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year's class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton's decision to retire from touring.