Richie Faulkner

Last updated

Richie Faulkner
HF2023ElegantWeapons 4.jpg
Faulkner performing with Elegant Weapons in 2023
Background information
Birth nameRichard Ian Faulkner
Born (1980-01-01) 1 January 1980 (age 44)
London, England
Genres
OccupationMusician
InstrumentGuitar
Years active2001–present
Member of
Formerly of Voodoo Six
Website richiefaulkner.com

Richard Ian Faulkner (born 1 January 1980) [1] is a British-American guitarist best known as one of the lead guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest since 2011, replacing original member K. K. Downing. He has also performed with Lauren Harris, Christopher Lee, Voodoo Six, Deeds, and Ace Mafia.

Contents

Biography

Early life and career

Faulkner was born in London, [1] and lived in Stockholm, Sweden, where he worked as a sausage seller between 1995 and 2000, [2] and learned to speak Swedish while living in the country. [3]

His inspiration to pick up a guitar was watching recordings of Jimi Hendrix's concerts at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and at the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970. [4] Faulkner got his first guitar when he was around 7 or 8 years old. [5] His father played guitar and was a fan of Hendrix and bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and used to show him a few chords. [5] The first song he learned to play on guitar was The Troggs' 1966 single "Wild Thing". [4] When Faulkner was about 13 years old, he connected with the owner of a local music shop who played in a cover band, covering material from Iron Maiden to Thin Lizzy to UFO. He asked Faulkner to play a couple of songs with him at some gigs, which was his introduction to the world of gigging. [5]

In the early stages of his career, Faulkner played in bands such as Dirty Deeds, [1] Voodoo Six (which he co-founded with bassist Tony Newton), [1] Ace Mafia, [1] Parramon, [1] and Lauren Harris' band. [1] His first signed band was Deeds, and their album, 2002's Blown, was produced by Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris. [5] With Faulkner on guitar, the Lauren Harris band was the opening act on Iron Maiden's Somewhere Back in Time World Tour in 2008. [6] Steve Harris told Faulkner that if anything would have happened to any of his bandmates, he would have chosen Faulkner as a replacement. [6]

Faulkner performing in 2009 Richie Faulkner.jpg
Faulkner performing in 2009

Faulkner has also arranged music for actor Christopher Lee's heavy metal album Charlemagne: The Omens of Death . Lee's team sent Faulkner some songs that were very orchestral and symphony-based and asked him to arrange them into metal songs. Both Lee and his team gave Faulkner a free creative rein for any ideas he felt the songs needed. [7] The album was released on 27 May 2013, Lee's 91st birthday. [8]

Judas Priest

On 20 April 2011, Faulkner was appointed as the successor of guitarist K. K. Downing in heavy metal band Judas Priest. [9] A mutual friend, guitarist Pete Friesen, recommended him to the band. Friesen and Faulkner had played together in a cover band in London called Metalworks, which coincidentally is also the title of a Judas Priest compilation released in 1993. [10] They called him on a wrong phone number, so they sent him two emails. Faulkner thought they were junk mail, so he deleted them. The band began to track him down and eventually got his real phone number. When Faulkner got a call from the band's management, he thought it was a joke. He went to Glenn Tipton's house the next day to meet him and Rob Halford was present as well. They had a discussion and Faulkner played a few pieces for them. They sent him a few tracks because they wanted to hear what he would play on those tracks on the solos, and they went from there. Faulkner returned about a week later and they offered him the gig. He kept it a secret for a month until the official announcement. [11]

Faulkner's first performance with Judas Priest occurred on 25 May 2011 on the TV show American Idol , where the band performed "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law" with James Durbin. [12] Faulkner's first album with Judas Priest was Redeemer of Souls , released in 2014. [13]

Vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Glenn Tipton have credited Faulkner with saving Judas Priest. [14] Halford said in a 2015 interview; "Let's face it, to some extent Richie saved Judas Priest, because if we hadn't have found him at the crucial time that we were looking for a guitar player, things could have turned out quite differently." [15]

In 2015, Faulkner was awarded the Dimebag Darrell Shredder Award by the readers of British magazine Metal Hammer at their annual Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. [16]

On 9 March 2018, Judas Priest released their second album with Faulkner, Firepower , which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the band's highest charting album. [17]

Personal life

Faulkner is in a relationship with Mariah Lynch, the daughter of guitarist George Lynch. The couple's first child, a daughter, was born on 8 July 2020. [18]

On 27 September 2021, Judas Priest had to postpone their "50 Heavy Metal Years Tour" in the United States due to Faulkner undergoing major emergency heart surgery. The band announced on social media that they will look to reschedule the tour following updates from Faulkner's doctors. [19] In a statement shared on Judas Priest's official website on 5 October 2021, Faulkner explained that when the band was performing "Painkiller" at Louder Than Life in Kentucky on 26 September 2021, his aorta ruptured and started to spill blood into his chest cavity. Faulkner's doctor told him he had an aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection, which is often fatal. Faulkner was taken to a nearby hospital, the Rudd Heart & Lung Center (which is only 4 miles away from the venue), and quickly went into what turned out to be a 10½ hour emergency open heart surgery where five parts of his chest were replaced with mechanical components. Faulkner said that this was totally unexpected for him since he had no history of a bad heart, no clogged arteries nor high cholesterol, and then urged the fans to get themselves checked. [20]

Influences

Faulkner has cited bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, UFO, [5] Rainbow, [5] and Metallica as his early musical influences, [21] as well as guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Brian May, David Gilmour, [22] Eddie Van Halen, Dave Murray, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Kirk Hammett, [22] and Michael Schenker as major influences on his guitar playing. [23]

Equipment

Faulkner playing his signature Epiphone Flying V guitar during a Judas Priest concert at With Full Force 2018 in Germany Judas Priest With Full Force 2018 03.jpg
Faulkner playing his signature Epiphone Flying V guitar during a Judas Priest concert at With Full Force 2018 in Germany

Faulkner is known for his use of Gibson and Epiphone Flying V model guitars, [24] equipped with his signature EMG 57/66 active pickups. [25] His first Gibson was an Epiphone Flying V with locking trem. [7] Faulkner has also used a Gibson Les Paul Custom with EMG 81/85 active pickups. [24]

In March 2018, Epiphone released Faulkner's signature Flying V guitar. [26] [27]

Effects
Amplifiers
Strings and picks

Discography

YearAlbum detailsBand / ArtistNotes
2002Blown
  • Released: 4 September 2002
  • Label: EMI
Deeds
2006Feed My Soul
  • Released: 21 August 2006 [31]
  • Label: White Knuckle/Filthy Lucre Records
Voodoo Six
2008 Calm Before the Storm
  • Released: 10 June 2008 [32]
  • Label: Demolition DR2 Records
 Lauren Harris
2009Vicious Circle
  • Released: 9 December 2009
  • Independently released
Ace Mafia EP
2013 Epitaph
  • Released: 28 May 2013
  • Label: Legacy
Judas Priest DVD
2014 Redeemer of Souls
2016 Battle Cry
  • Released: 25 March 2016
  • Label: Epic
Live Album / DVD
2018 Firepower
  • Released: 9 March 2018
  • Label: Epic
2023 Horns for a Halo
  • Released: 26 May 2023
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
 Elegant Weapons
2024 Invincible Shield
  • Released: 6/8 March 2024
  • Label: Epic
 Judas Priest
Guest appearances
YearAlbum detailsBand / ArtistNotes
2010Dead People
  • Released: 21 November 2010
  • Label: Rockline Records
Parramon
2011For All We Know
  • Released: 25 April 2011
  • Label: Self-released
For All We KnowLead guitar on track 2;
"Busy Being Somebody Else"
2013 Charlemagne: The Omens of Death
  • Released: 27 May 2013
  • Label: Charlemagne Productions Ltd.
 Christopher Lee Arranger 7 of 10 tracks
Rise Again
  • Released: 14 October 2013
  • Label: Green China Records
PrimitaiGuitar on track 2;
"Scream When You See Us" [33]
2014Renegades
  • Released: 16 May 2014
  • Label:
MonumentLead guitar on track 8;
"Rock The Night" [34]
2016Electric Conjuring
  • Released: 1 June 2016
  • Label: Evil Steel Records
Iron SpellLead guitar on track 6;
"Stormrider"
2018Ace Mafia
  • Released: 15 September 2018
Ace MafiaEP [35]
2022 Exile
  • Released: 28 October 2022
  • Label: Weapons MFG
 Demon Hunter Lead guitar and solo on track 10;
"Godless"

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResult
2015 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards Dimebag Darrell Shredder Award Won [16]
Loudwire Music Awards Guitarist of the YearNominated [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judas Priest</span> British heavy metal band

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, and are cited as a formative influence on various heavy metal subgenres, including speed metal, thrash metal, power metal, and the hard rock/glam metal scene of the 1980s. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with poor record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when their sixth studio album British Steel brought them notable mainstream attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. K. Downing</span> British guitarist

Kenneth Downing Jr. is an English guitarist and a founding member of the heavy metal bands Judas Priest and KK's Priest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Tipton</span> English guitarist

Glenn Raymond Tipton is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is the second longest-serving member of the band, after bassist and co-founder Ian Hill. Tipton and Hill are the only two members of the band who have appeared on every studio album.

<i>Sad Wings of Destiny</i> 1976 studio album by Judas Priest

Sad Wings of Destiny is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 26 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it such as "Victim of Changes" and "The Ripper" have since become live standards. It was the band's only album to feature drummer Alan Moore.

<i>Jugulator</i> 1997 studio album by Judas Priest

Jugulator is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released in Japan on 16 October 1997 and the rest of the world on 28 October 1997. It was their first studio album since Painkiller in 1990 and the first of two studio albums the band recorded without Rob Halford and with American lead vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens. Jugulator is the only Judas Priest album that has never been released on any major digital media website, due to German independent record label SPV falling under and going bankrupt around 2009.

<i>Demolition</i> (Judas Priest album) 2001 studio album by Judas Priest

Demolition is the fourteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, and the first in the decade of the 2000s. It is the second and final studio album to feature Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals. It is also the only Judas Priest studio album to feature a Parental Advisory label on the album cover due to the songs "Machine Man", "Hell Is Home", and "Metal Messiah" containing profanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitfield Crane</span> American singer (born 1968)

William Whitfield Crane IV is an American singer and founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Ugly Kid Joe, which was formed in 1989. He has also worked in music outside his band, from performing guest vocals on numerous songs to contributing to musical efforts with other rock bands such as Life of Agony, Another Animal, and Richards/Crane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breaking the Law</span> 1980 single by Judas Priest

"Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album British Steel. The song is one of the band's better known singles, and is readily recognised by its opening guitar riff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living After Midnight</span> 1980 single by Judas Priest

"Living After Midnight" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally featured on their 1980 album British Steel, which was their first gold album in the United States selling more than 500,000 copies. The song speaks to the hedonistic, rebellious spirit of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and is among the band's most popular songs.

<i>A Touch of Evil: Live</i> 2009 live album by Judas Priest

A Touch of Evil: Live is the fifth live album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released in the UK on 13 July 2009 and in the US on 14 July via Sony and Epic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epitaph World Tour</span> 2011–12 concert tour by Judas Priest

The Epitaph World Tour was a concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, at the time intended to be the band's farewell tour. The tour commenced in June 2011 and concluded in May 2012. The tour was named after the 6th track from their Sad Wings of Destiny album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voodoo Six</span> British hard rock band formed in 2003

Voodoo Six is a British hard rock band formed in the summer of 2003 by bassist Tony Newton and guitarist Richie Faulkner. The current line-up of the band consists of Nik Taylor-Stoakes, Matt Pearce (guitar), Tony Newton (bass), Joe Lazarus (drums) and Tommy Gentry (guitar).

<i>Redeemer of Souls</i> 2014 studio album by Judas Priest

Redeemer of Souls is the seventeenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, which was released in the US on 8 July 2014, in Europe on 11 July, and in the UK on 14 July. It is their first album without founding guitarist K. K. Downing, who quit the band in 2011 and was replaced by new guitarist Richie Faulkner. It also marks the band's last album to be produced by Glenn Tipton. The album sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to peak at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the band's first top 10 album debut in the US. It has sold 110,000 copies in the US as of February 2016.

<i>Battle Cry</i> (Judas Priest album) 2016 live album by Judas Priest

Battle Cry is the sixth live album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 25 March 2016. It was recorded at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany on 1 August 2015 during their Redeemer of Souls Tour. The album was released as both a standalone title and a bundled package containing the DVD version.

<i>Firepower</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Judas Priest

Firepower is the eighteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. Released in 2018, it was the band's first studio album since 1988's Ram It Down to be produced by Tom Allom and the first one with Andy Sneap as co-producer. The album sold around 49,000 copies in the United States within its first week of release, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the band's highest-charting album in the US. The album also reached No. 5 in the UK, making it their first top-ten album in the UK since British Steel. Music videos were made for "Lightning Strike", "Spectre" and "No Surrender". A lyric video was made for "Never the Heroes". The record also produced three singles.

The Firepower World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, in support of the album Firepower. It ran from 13 March 2018 to 29 June 2019.

<i>Invincible Shield</i> 2024 studio album by Judas Priest

Invincible Shield is the nineteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 6 March 2024 by Sony in Japan, and globally two days later through Columbia and Epic Records. It was produced by the band's touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who also produced 2018's Firepower, while the album's last two tracks were co-produced by Tom Allom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Newton (English musician)</span> English bassist and producer

Tony Newton is an English bassist, recording engineer and record producer, most active in heavy metal and hard rock genres. He is the current bassist of KK's Priest and Voodoo Six. He has also produced and/or engineered releases from Iron Maiden and British Lion.

"Panic Attack" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest from their 2024 album Invincible Shield. It was released as the album's lead single on October 13, 2023, and became its most popular song, having over 8 million Spotify listens and 2 million YouTube views.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Catania, Andrew (3 February 2017). "Richie Faulkner: From Dirty Deeds to Judas Priest". Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Judas Priest-stjärnan: Jag jobbade som korvgubbe – i Sverige". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "Judas Priest's Richie Faulkner speaks Swedish and worked as a sausage seller in Sweden". Wayback Machine. 9 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest: Why I Play Guitar". YouTube. 19 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Richie Faulkner talks about his Rock Scene". YouTube. 26 September 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Richie Faulkner Was Potential Iron Maiden Replacement". Loudwire. 12 November 2015.
  7. 1 2 Hodgson, Peter (7 November 2012). "Guitar Talk with Judas Priest's Richie Faulkner". Gibson.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  8. ↑ "Christopher Lee Readies Heavy Metal Album for 91st Birthday". Rolling Stone. 24 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Collis, Clark (20 April 2011). "Guitarist K.K. Downing quits Judas Priest after 40 years". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  10. ↑ Weiderhorn, Jon (15 February 2012). "Interview: Guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner Discuss Judas Priest After K.K. Downing". Guitar World.
  11. ↑ "Hit The Lights: Richie Faulkner: 'I'm Not There To Replace A Forty-Year Career'". Ultimate Guitar. 18 November 2011.
  12. ↑ "Judas Priest Performs "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law" On American Idol Finale". Metal Underground. 26 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 December 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  13. ↑ "Judas Priest announce first studio album since 2008". The Guardian. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "Judas Priest - Glenn Tipton Says Richie Faulkner Saved the Band from Demise". YouTube. 1 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "Rob Halford Credits Richie Faulkner With Saving Judas Priest". Ultimate Classic Rock. 22 October 2015.
  16. 1 2 "2015 Metal Hammer 'Golden Gods Awards' Winners Revealed". Theprp.com. 15 June 2015.
  17. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (18 March 2018). "Judas Priest Earns Highest Charting Album Ever on Billboard 200 With 'Firepower'". Billboard.
  18. ↑ "JUDAS PRIEST's RICHIE FAULKNER Welcomes First Child With GEORGE LYNCH's Daughter". Blabbermouth.net . 17 July 2020.
  19. ↑ "Richie Faulkner in a "stable" condition after undergoing major emergency heart surgery". Guitar World. 28 September 2021.
  20. ↑ "Update on Richie Faulkner". JudasPriest.com. 5 October 2021.
  21. ↑ Bryant, Walter (28 August 2014). "The Music Zoo Interviews Richie Faulkner Of Judas Priest". The Music Zoo.
  22. 1 2 Steffens, Charlie (21 August 2014). "They Are Rightly The Metal Gods: Gnarly Charlie's Exclusive Interview With Guitarist Richie Faulkner of JUDAS PRIEST". KNAC.
  23. ↑ "Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest Talks Zakk Wylde, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Schenker and more!". YouTube. 11 July 2018.
  24. 1 2 "Richie Faulkner". Equip Board.
  25. ↑ "Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest Signature EMG 57/66 at The Music Zoo". YouTube. 9 April 2018.
  26. ↑ "Epiphone Richie Faulkner Flying V". Thomann.
  27. ↑ "Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest Signature Epiphone Flying V at The Music Zoo". YouTube. 9 April 2018.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Gear List". richiefaulkner.com.
  29. ↑ "Judas Priest's Richie Faulkner - GEAR MASTERS Ep. 199". YouTube. 1 May 2018.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 Charupakorn, Joe (19 June 2014). "Judas Priest: Unleash the Beast". Premier Guitar.
  31. ↑ "Feed My Soul – Voodoo Six". All Music.
  32. ↑ Samman, Tonia (24 June 2008). "The Daily Rind Catches Up With Lauren Harris During the Calm Before The Storm". The Daily Rind. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  33. ↑ "JUDAS PRIEST's RICHIE FAULKNER Guests On New PRIMITAI Single". Blabbermouth. 4 September 2013.
  34. ↑ "Monument – Renegades". Metal Invader. 11 July 2014.
  35. ↑ "ACE MAFIA feat. Richie Faulkner (Judas Priest) Announce 'Ace Mafia' EP Release For September". Rock'N'Growl. 17 August 2018.
  36. ↑ "4th Annual Loudwire Music Awards: Complete Winners List". Loudwire. 3 February 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.