JUDAS PRIEST's RICHIE FAULKNER Opens Up About Fatherhood: 'Coming Home To' My Daughter 'After A Tour Is A Big Relief'

In a new interview with Tim Caple of the Rock 'N' Blues Experience, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner touched upon the health issues and physical challenges he has faced in the four and a half years since experiencing an aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection while performing at the 2021 Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Asked about the importance of his family support in overcoming his medical issues, particularly now that he is a father to a young daughter, Daisy Mae, Richie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's incredibly helpful. If your base is secure, you can build on that. At the end of the day, that's your base and you can kind of retreat to that and everything's fine. If your base is shaken or it's not secure, then that can go against you. But [my daughter] doesn't know half of what went on [with my health]. We'll tell her one day. She knows surface-level stuff. But she's happy. She's smart, she's learning lots of new things. Her life isn't affected by it as much as it could have been. So we are grateful for that."

Faulkner went on to say that Daisy, whom she shares with Mariah Lynch, daughter of former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch, has already expressed an interest in performing. "She's a drummer, she's a singer. She loves it all," he said. "She loves the drums, she loves the guitar. She likes to sing. She just started doing acting classes, so, yeah, we've got our hands full. But she's great, man. She's a colorful character. She's almost six, so she's got a big life. She's got a big heart, and she's a good girl. So, yeah, she's beautiful. So, coming home to that after a tour is a big relief."

Immediately after PRIEST's performance at the 2021 Louder Than Life, it took the Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health - Jewish Hospital's cardiothoracic surgery team approximately 10 hours to complete the now-46-year-old British-born musician's first surgery, an aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement with hemiarch replacement, enabling Richie to eventually return to the road. Faulkner later revealed that he suffered a stroke that left him with permanent damage to his brain, which has affected how he plays his instrument. He explained that in 2022, he noticed that "something was different" about how he used his right hand to play guitar and brush his teeth. He decided to see a doctor and quickly learned he had damage to his brain after experiencing a stroke, not a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) as he had previously believed.

After the 2021 Louder Than Life festival, JUDAS PRIEST postponed the remainder of the U.S. dates on its 50th-anniversary tour, dubbed "50 Heavy Metal Years". The shows were rescheduled for March and April 2022.

Faulkner joined PRIEST in 2011 as the replacement for original guitarist K.K. Downing.

Richie was once the guitarist in the backing group for Lauren Harris, daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

Faulkner's ELEGANT WEAPONS project will release its sophomore album "Evolution", on April 24, 2026 via Exciter Records.

ELEGANT WEAPONS features a formidable lineup: Faulkner,vocalist Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG),bassist Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) and drummer Christopher Williams (ACCEPT).

"Evolution" was co-produced by Faulkner alongside Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST's touring guitarist, who also produced PRIEST's "Invincible Shield" and "Firepower" albums),with the recording spanning Nashville, Europe, and France — a truly global effort reflecting the band's international pedigree.

ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was released in May 2023 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

ELEGANT WEAPONS made its first two festival appearances in June 2023 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and at Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium.

ELEGANT WEAPONS played additional shows in Europe through July 2023. The trek included performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining shows.