Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill retires after 57 years with arthritis
Ian Hill, the bassist who has played for Judas Priest since 1970, has retired from the band with immediate effect.
The band published his statement on Oct. 9 on its official website JudasPriest.com under the title "Message from Ian" JudasPriest.com. Hill, 75, said arthritis had made it impossible to continue. "I hate to say it, but that time has come," he wrote Guitar World.
Hill described struggling with the condition for some years. He cited advanced arthritis in his left shoulder and right hand, alongside arthritis in his right shoulder and both knees, according to Billboard. He said he had tried to keep playing with painkilling pills, gels and cortisone injections in his shoulder and hand.
His exit ends a 57-year run. Hill joined the early version of the band with guitarist K.K. Downing in 1970 and was its longest-serving member at the point of retirement. Judas Priest was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Until last month, he had never missed a show. That run ended on Sept. 21 at London's Eventim Apollo, the first concert he had missed since joining, as reported by Loudwire. Hill said he snapped a tendon in his left shoulder before the encores at a Sept. 18 gig in Brussels and could not perform in London.
Uriah Heep bassist Davey Rimmer stepped in for that London date after the band asked him to learn its set list for the Faithkeepers tour as cover. Rimmer will take over the bass role from the start of Judas Priest's 2027 touring, according to BraveWords. Uriah Heep said Rimmer will continue with that band through 2026 and on all 2027 shows where schedules permit.
Hill told fans he had already recorded his bass parts for the group's next studio album before stepping down. That means his playing will still feature on new music even as the live line-up changes.
What makes this stand out is how directly Hill linked the decision to the physical work of performing. In a May interview he had said the band could carry on with new players after its long-term members stepped back. That handover has now started.
