Judas Priest Launch Glenn Tipton Parkinson’s Foundation to Honor Guitarist

Judas Priest have launched the Glenn Tipton Parkinson’s Foundation, named after the heavy metal act’s guitarist who announced that he had been battling the disease for a decade prior to their Firepower Tour.

“It was the band that suggested we start a foundation which, although in my name, is really a Judas Priest foundation,” Tipton said in a statement.

All proceeds from the foundation will benefit a “pioneering new treatment called MR guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy which although in its early stages has already had great success with a Parkinson’s related condition called essential tremor,” Tipton wrote.

In February, Tipton revealed his Parkinson’s battle, which forced him to step back from touring full time with Judas Priest; the guitarist has still made occasional onstage appearances during the tour’s encores, and remains creatively involved with the band.

“As you probably know by now, I’ve had to pull out of the current Priest tour due to ill health. I am still doing some shows and joining the guys on stage for some songs and will carry on for as long as I can without compromising the band. So far, when I walk on stage, the audience reaction has been amazing, heartwarming and quite emotional,” Tipton added.

“I knew that something was wrong as my coordination and speed were affected and have both been slowly getting worse over the last 10 years. Accordingly, when I was diagnosed, it wasn’t really a shock.”

To raise funds for the foundation, Judas Priest are offering an exclusive “No Surrender” T-shirt both at their concerts and online.

Read Tipton’s entire statement to fans below: