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K. K. Downing
Birth name	Kenneth Downing, Jr.
Born	October 27, 1951 (1951-10-27) (age 56) West Bromwich, England
Genre(s)	Heavy metal Speed metal
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Guitar
Years active	1968 - Present
Label(s)	Columbia
Associated acts	Judas Priest
Notable instrument(s)
Gibson Flying V Fender Stratocaster

Kenneth "K.K." Downing (born 27 October 1951 in Hill Top in West Bromwich, England) is a guitarist, songwriter and a founding member of the British heavy metal band Judas Priest. He received his stage name when a girl in Denmark could not pronounce his name and called him 'K.K.' instead.

Contents 1 Childhood 2 Playing style and technique 3 Homes 4 Trivia 5 Gear 6 References 7 External links

Downing dropped out of school when he was fifteen, then was kicked out of his house when he was sixteen and has reportedly not spoken to his parents since. He had little ambition at the time, until he picked up the guitar.

Influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Downing bought his first guitar at the age of sixteen. According to an interview by Guitar One magazine, Downing found little support from his parents for his career of choice. This did not change even after Judas Priest achieved worldwide commercial success and critical acclaim. To this day Downing's mother insists he should get a "proper job"^[1].

Downing has been noted for his aggressive, bluesy solos and dual leads with fellow Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton.^[2] Together with his schoolmate and fellow band founding member Ian Hill, Downing has been solely dedicated to the band for more than 35 years.

Like Tipton, Downing's playing is generally considered to have grown and expanded over the years.^{[citation needed]} During Judas Priest's early years, the music showcased a more traditional guitar solo style. Some of Downing's early solos featured the use of a wah-wah pedal. He abandoned the use of it by 1980, with the exception of during live performances of the early tracks that featured it.

In 1988, Judas Priest released the album Ram it Down, on which the two guitarists began to use sweep-picking in their playing, turning their solos into full-fledged shred. Around this point, Downing's playing began to become more easily distinguishable from Tipton's. Tipton gave a more neo-classical sound resemblant of Yngwie Malmsteen and Jason Becker, using complex sweep-picking, classical scales, and arpeggios. Downing played more general shred resembling that of Jeff Hanneman and Zakk Wylde, using similar techniques to Tipton's, but making more use of pinch harmonics and speed build-ups. Many of the songs on 1990's Painkiller enunciate the difference between their playing and the levels of complexity that they had both reached. Many believe that their playing still continued to grow on later albums such as Jugulator and Demolition, and believe that it may have reached its height on Judas Priest's most recent album, 2005's Angel of Retribution.

Downing owns a home in Spain, but his main abode is Astbury Hall in Shropshire, England (worth $3.64 million). It is in a very secluded area so he can--as stated in a 2007 interview--"blast his Marshalls."

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• He was ranked 23 on rock magazine Hit Parader's list of 100 greatest metal guitarists.

Downing has many guitars, among them:

• 1964 Gibson Flying V Limited Edition with Gibson PAF pickups
• 1970 Gibson Flying V with Maestro vibrato bar
• 1969 Fender Stratocaster (White) with left-handed neck
• 1970-71 Fender Stratocaster (Sunburst)
• Custom Hamer Vector, Vector KK and KK Mini V guitars
• ESP Custom V guitar and a Dan Johnson custom built V

• Official website
• Official Judas Priest website

v • d • e Judas Priest
Rob Halford · K. K. Downing · Glenn Tipton · Ian Hill · Scott Travis Dave Holland · Tim "Ripper" Owens · Al Atkins · Les Binks · Alan Moore · John Hinch · Chris Campbell · John Pattridge · John Ellis · Simon Phillips
Studio albums	Rocka Rolla · Sad Wings of Destiny · Sin After Sin · Stained Class · Killing Machine · British Steel · Point of Entry · Screaming for Vengeance · Defenders of the Faith · Turbo · Ram It Down · Painkiller · Jugulator · Demolition · Angel of Retribution · Nostradamus
Live albums	Unleashed in the East · Priest...Live! · '98 Live Meltdown · Live in London
Compilations	The Best of Judas Priest · Hero, Hero · The Collection · Genocide · Metal Works '73-'93 · The Best of Judas Priest: Living After Midnight · Metalogy · The Essential Judas Priest
Videos	Live in London · Electric Eye · Rising in the East · Live Vengeance '82
Related articles	Discography · Members