Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill has announced he’s stepping away from the band. The legendary musician, until now the only original member left in the band, also confirmed that he made the decision because of his long battle with arthritis, which has been causing him no end of trouble on tour in recent years. As he said in the official statement, the decision to end his career was an incredibly tough one.
Hill will be replaced in Priest by Davey Rimmer, who is also a member of another legendary British outfit, Uriah Heep, and who already filled in for Ian Hill at the band’s show in London last month. That was also the first Judas Priest gig in Ian Hill’s entire long career that he was ever forced to miss.
Check out the joint official statement from Ian Hill and Judas Priest below.
That means the last time we saw Ian Hill (pictured above) live was on August 25, 2026, when Judas Priest played the Arena in Pula (Rockline concert review).
