Discover the Career Influences of Glenn Tipton

Glenn Tipton is a wealthy English guitarist who is worth $20 million. Glenn Tipton is best known as the lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Judas Priest. He and Ian Hill are the only two members of the band who have appeared on every studio record. Rob Halford, the band’s most famous member, was a member from 1973 to 1992 and from 2003 to the present.

Glenn Tipton began playing the guitar at the age of 19 and formed his first band, Shave Em’ Dry, which evolved into Merlin and then the Flying Hat Band. He joined Judas Priest in 1974. The band would go on to release 17 studio albums and 5 live albums. Over 45 million records have been sold globally, with 12 million sold in the United States. The band’s best-selling record, “Screaming for Vengeance,” was certified two times platinum in 1982.

What are some of the career influences of Glenn Tipton?

Pertaining to his influences, Tipson once said:

“It goes without saying that I love playing and performing heavy metal, and have done so for the majority of my career,” Tipton says. Going back farther, I’ve listened to a lot of early blues performers, and I believe The Spencer Davis Group was the first band I saw live that really made an impression on me. I recall seeing them perform during an all-nighter at Birmingham Town Hall. Steve Winwood was a fantastic all-around vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist, and I recall attempting to learn ‘Georgia’ on the piano after seeing them perform it. They had amazing songs like ‘Keep on Running,’ and while you might try to describe them as blues or R&B, they really had their own sound going for them, thanks to Steve Winwood, I suppose.”

Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin were all early influences. “I still can’t believe where Hendrix came from,” he says. Okay, Seattle, but this black guy comes out of nowhere, playing guitar in ways no one had believed it could be done. In my opinion, he was more than a genius; he was someone very, very exceptional. I adored early Purple, and the combination of organ and guitar produced a tremendously powerful sound that was, once again, unusual at the time. What can you say about Zeppelin? ‘Whole Lotta Love,’ ‘Communication Breakdown,’ ‘Black Dog,’ and the epic ‘Kashmir,’ again a unique band with outstanding music. All of these bands left an influence on me way back in the day.

“I liked Fleetwood Mac’s early work with Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer.” Peter Green was a fantastic white blues player and songwriter in my opinion. He not only wrote classics like ‘Green Manalishi’ and ‘Oh Well,’ but also more sensitive songs like ‘Need Your Love So Bad’ and ‘Albatross.’ I saw them multiple times and it was amazing to see them perform songs like ‘Stop Messin’ Around’ or songs with slide guitars like ‘Dust My Broom’.

“As I’ve previously stated, Rory Gallagher was my main inspiration as a guitarist.” I saw him several times in Taste and he truly influenced me, not only musically but also in the amount of intensity and feel he put forth.”

Tipton enjoys soundtrack music, as seen by his enjoyment of Judas Priest’s metal opera Nostradamus. “I love people like Hans Zimmer,” Tipton told Attention Deficit Delirium. “Some of the stuff that they do is incredible.” (He enjoys the Gladiator soundtrack.) “One day, when I’m good enough to do music for film, I wouldn’t even call it a film score, but I’d like that opportunity.” It would be a thrilling experience for me. I’m not sure if it will happen or not. I would gladly accept the opportunity to do anything like that as long as it was something I liked or respected visually.