Judas Priest's founding guitarist K.K. Downing is selling his songwriting credits to 136 songs by his former band — including classic tracks like "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," "Breaking the Law," and "Painkiller" — reports Billboard. The axeman is selling the rights as part of bankruptcy proceedings for his failed Astbury Hall golf course, which fell into administration (the British equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy) last fall after "tougher economic times within the wider corporate hospitality market" placed "unsustainable pressure" on the golf course, administrators say. (It has since been put up for sale for $13.5 million.)
The administration group FRP Advisory LLP tells Billboard that Downing's share of the royalties generates in $340,000 – $400,000 annually. Who needs Bitcoin when you've got heavy metal?
Downing departed Judas Priest in 2011, later attributing his exit to irreconcilable creative and personal differences with the rest of the band. He sparked a controversy earlier this year when he claimed he was "shocked and stunned" that Priest didn't enlist his services when guitarist Glenn Tipton retired from touring earlier this year due to his Parkinson's disease battle.
Below, see Rob Halford reveal the hilarious stories behind classic photographs of Judas Priest:
