K.K. Downing celebrates 75th birthday with tributes from metal legends

Heavy metal guitarist K.K. Downing, a founding member of Judas Priest, celebrated his 75th birthday on October 27. To mark the occasion, prominent musicians from the rock and metal community released a video compilation of birthday messages.

Featured contributors include James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo of Metallica, Kerry King of Slayer, Klaus Meine of Scorpions, and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, among many others. Downing celebrated the milestone performing onstage in San Jose, California, as part of the North American tour with his band, KK’s Priest.

In conjunction with his birthday, Downing’s band has released a new version of the Judas Priest classic “Never Satisfied,” originally from the 1974 debut album Rocka Rolla. The re-recording features vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens and serves as part of a broader effort to revisit his musical legacy following the acquisition of rights to several classic albums by Reach Music.