Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner recently guested on the Let There Be Talk podcast, hosted by Dean Delray. He discussed bandmate Glenn Tipton's Parkinson's disease diagnosis, which has made it impossible for Tipton to play full shows with the band on tour.

Faulkner: "He was in rehearsals (for the Firepower tour), he was trying his best, and it got to the point… I mean, it takes a big man. Glenn's a proud man. He's been at the top of his game for 50 years, and to admit anything like that is a big move. And he sat us all down and he said, 'Guys, I'm not gonna be able to do this tour.' And it was a bit of an emotional moment, as you can imagine; there were some tears.

He's an influential guitar player; he's a great friend; he's a hero. And it's incredibly sad, obviously, and it must be incredibly frustrating for him. He says, to see us out on the road and he's not there with us, it's incredibly tough for him. He's a fighter, man. Glenn's one of those types of personalities, I don't think Priest would be Priest without him. His tenacity and the way he writes music, the way he plays guitar and the personality that he is. As I said, he's a great friend, he's a hero. Just watching him and learning from him, without Glenn, it wouldn't be the same band."

On October 9th, Ozzy Osbourne announced that he is postponing his 2020 European shows (see the video below). Judas Priest, who will remain as support on the rescheduled European tour as part of their JP/50 Heavy Metal Years anniversary tour, have since issued the following statement:

"We are very grateful for the rock solid support from our wonderful UK & European fans as Ozzy gets well and strong - the UK/European tour will showcase the very best British Metal from the ones that started it all and we proudly look forward to celebrating our 50 Heavy Metal Years together with you!"

Ozzy’s North American dates will go on as scheduled, kicking off May 27, 2020 in Atlanta and concluding July 31 in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for updates.