Judas Priest' Ian Hill Also Pondered Retirement

Downing's departure came as a bombshell to fans when it was announced last April, four months after he'd made his decision. Priest brought in Richie Faulkner as his replacement and announced their current world tour would be their last.

The bassist says his ex-bandmate's decision to retire caused him to think along similar lines � but like many musicians from his era, the idea frightened him. "I thought of not doing it, not playing," he reports.