Former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing, who left the band in April 2011, auctioned off assorted gear and stage memorabilia via the Bonhams international auction house on December 11th. This included the 1967 Flying V that was Downing's main instrument on classic Judas Priest albums including Sad Wings Of Destiny and Point Of Entry. The guitar sold for £150,000 (approximately $189,000 US), much higher than the original estimate of £15,000 - £18,000 ($19,000 - $23,000 US).

Check out the listing here.

A sample of the audiobook edition of Downing's new autobiography, Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest, is available for streaming below.

Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest was released back in September via Hachette Audio (digital download), and Da Capo Press (print, ebook). The book was co-written by Scottish author and journalist Mark Eglinton.

A book synopsis states: Judas Priest formed in the industrial city of Birmingham, England, in 1968. With its distinctive twin-guitar sound, studs-and-leather image, and international sales of over 50 million records, Judas Priest became the archetypal heavy metal band in the 1980s. Iconic tracks like “Breaking The Law”, “Living After Midnight”, and “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” helped the band achieve extraordinary success, but no one from the band has stepped out to tell their or the band’s story until now.

As the band approaches its golden anniversary, fans will at last be able to delve backstage into the decades of shocking, hilarious, and haunting stories that surround the heavy metal institution. In Heavy Duty guitarist K.K. Downing discusses frontman Rob Halford’s hidden sexuality, the personality conflicts, the business screw-ups, the acrimonious relationship with fellow heavy metal band Iron Maiden, and how Judas Priest was at ground zero for the parental outrage targeting heavy metal in the ’80s. Lastly, he reveals the life-changing moment when he looked at his bandmates on stage during a 2010 concert and thought, “This is the last show.” Whatever the topic, whoever’s involved, K.K. doesn’t hold back.

With the band at the beginning through his retirement in 2010 (and even still as a member of the band’s board of directors), Downing has seen it all and is now finally at a place in his life where he can also let it all go. Even if you’re a lifelong fan, if you think you know the full story of Judas Priest, well, you’ve got another thing coming.