Latest news with #UnleashedintheEast
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Drummer of Legendary English Metal Band Dies at 73
Rest in peace. Les Binks, the ex drummer of English heavy metal band Judas Priest, has died. The percussionist, who played with Judas Priest from March 1977 to July 1979, died on March 15, 2025. The band took to Instagram a month later to share a formal statement on Binks' passing. 'We are deeply saddened about the passing of Les and send our love to his family, friends and fans. The acclaimed drumming he provided was first class – demonstrating his unique techniques, flair, style and precision – Thank you Les – your acclaim will live on,' the post read. 'Very sad news. [He was] an excellent drummer who was an integral part of the Priest sound,' one fan shared in the comments section. 'Stained Class turned me on to Priest as a 14-year-old with Les Binks on drums! Great drummer, he was!' added another, referring to the band's 1978 album. Binks also played on Killing Machine (Hell Bent for Leather in the U.S.) and a 1979 live album titled Unleashed in the East. In an 2021 interview with The Metal Voice, Binks explained why he departed from Judas Priest. "Money, or lack of it. I was in a different situation than the other guys in the band,' he recalled, claiming that he wasn't seeing the same payment as other members Rob Halford on lead vocals, K.K. Downing on guitar, Glenn Tipton on guitar, and Ian Hill on bass. "I wasn't signed to the record company, and when it came to the live album, Unleashed in the East, the management company thought I should do it for free,' Binks added. "That album went platinum, outsold all the previous albums, and the management didn't want to pay me for it, crazy." Despite leaving the band, however, Binks reunited with Judas Priest after 43 years to perform at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Judas Priest and Alice Cooper Plot Heavy Co-Headlining Tour
Judas Priest and Alice Cooper are bringing a legendary co-headlining tour across 22 North American cities late this summer and into the fall. Kicking off in September in Mississippi, the trek will take the pair of hard-rock acts across the U.S. and Canada until the end of October. Corrosion of Conformity will join them on the tour and will appear on all dates except for the Sept. 18 show in Georgia. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time, with artist presale tickets available beginning Wednesday. More from Rolling Stone Les Binks, Former Drummer for Judas Priest, Dead at 73 Judas Priest's Richie Faulkner 'Struggles' to Play Sometimes Because of Brain Damage Alice Cooper Once Tossed a Chicken Into an Audience. A New Doc Captures the Mayhem The tour announcement comes shortly after news broke that former Judas Priest drummer Les Binks died. Binks played with the band for two years, appearing on the albums Stained Class and Killing Machine as well as the live record Unleashed in the East. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside the rest of the band in 2022 and even played alongside them at the ceremony. Judas Priest released their 19th album, Invincible Shield, last spring and toured in support of it. Cooper's most recent album is 2023's Road. This summer, he will embark on a solo headlining Too Close for Comfort Tour in support of it. Judas Priest and Alice Cooper Tour Dates Sept. 16 – Biloxi, MS @ Mississippi Coast ColiseumSept. 18 – Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*Sept. 20 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music PavilionSept. 21 – Franklin, TN @ FirstBank AmphitheaterSept. 24 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans AmphitheaterSept. 26 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts CenterSept. 27 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Broadview Stage at SPACSept. 29 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser StageOct. 1 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star LakeOct. 2 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music TheatreOct. 4 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music CenterOct. 5 – Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 AmphitheatreOct. 10 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Broadmoor World ArenaOct. 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union AmphitheatreOct. 14 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline AmphitheatreOct. 15 – Wheatland, CA @ Toyota AmphitheatreOct. 18 – Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union AmphitheatreOct. 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia ForumOct. 22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort AmphitheatreOct. 23 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta AmphitheaterOct. 25 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance AmphitheaterOct. 26 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion * Without support from Corrosion of Conformity Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Judas Priest former drummer Les Binks dead at 73: 'Your acclaim will live on'
Judas Priest former drummer Les Binks dead at 73: 'Your acclaim will live on' Les Binks, the drummer responsible for Judas Priest's beats in the late-'70s, has died at 73. A funeral notice for Binks lists his passing at a London hospital, with some reports adding his death occurred March 15. The band announced Binks' death in an Instagram post Tuesday, stating, 'We are deeply saddened about the passing of Les and send our love to his family, friends and fans. The acclaimed drumming he provided was first class – demonstrating his unique techniques, flair, style and precision. Thank you, Les – your acclaim will live on …' More: Clem Burke, legendary drummer for Blondie and the Ramones, dies at 70 Binks joined the British heavy metal band in 1977 after drumming with Eric Burdon and the Animals and War and made his first appearance on Judas Priest's major label debut, 'Sin After Sin,' that same year, playing on the bonus track, 'Race with the Devil.' The sticksman's resume also included stints with Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, as well as the pop band Fancy, before his Judas Priest association. Born James Leslie Binks in Northern Ireland Aug. 8, 1951, Binks' two-year membership in the Rob Halford-fronted outfit included the band's tour supporting 'Sin After Sin,' which marked Judas Priest's first outing in America. But it was Binks' double bass drum assault that earned his acclaim in the Judas Priest canon. The 1978 albums 'Stained Class' and 'Killing Machine' (released as 'Hell Bent for Leather' in the U.S.) as well as the 1979 live album 'Unleashed in the East,' spotlighted Binks' signature speedy playing, which featured prominently on the band's first hit in the U.K., 'Take on the World.' The drum patterns from that song lived on in future generations, with both The Human League utilizing them during their 1980 tour and the indie rock band Spoon interpolating the patterns in their 2021 song, 'Wild.' Binks also co-wrote 'Beyond the Realms of Death' from the 'Stained Class' album. But two years after joining Judas Priest, Binks departed just before the tour behind 'Hell Bent for Leather.' In a 2017 interview on a fan site for Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing, Binks cited management refusing to pay him for contributions on 'Unleashed in the East' that 'led to my decision to leave the band. I just didn't see the point in continuing to work with a band whose manager (Mike Dolan) didn't want me to receive any payment for that live album. A completely ludicrous scenario … But that's what happens if a band allows someone like that to manage them. They lose members. So exit drummer number four.' Binks stayed active in his post-Priest years, joining British hard rock band Lionheart and the short-lived Tytan in the early '80s and since 2017 played Judas Priest songs in the band Les Binks' Priesthood. Despite a somewhat acrimonious parting with Judas Priest, Binks joined his former mates at the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and played three songs with the band. It was the first time he shared a stage with them in 43 years.
