Former Judas Priest drummer Les Binks has died aged 73. The Northern Irish sticksman joined the legendary heavy metal band in 1977, after tenures with Eric Burdon and War (later known as simply War) and pop group Francy. His death was reported by various outlets on Tuesday (15.04.25), however, no cause of death was given. Binks appeared on the pair of 1978 Priest albums ‘Stained Class’ and ‘Killing Machine’, and the 1979 live LP ‘Unleashed In The East’. He departed the group shortly after the latter project’s release. Binks reunited with Judas Priest when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017. At the time, he also performed in the covers band KK’s Priest with former members K. K. Downing and Tim “Ripper” Owens.

Previously working for Eric Burdon of the Animals and the funk band War, Binks was also a drummer on Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover’s album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper’s Feast (1974). The album project began as a soundtrack for an animated film based on a well-known English children’s book, but a promo for the film never gained any interest, so the project was scrapped. Glover went on to release the soundtrack as a “Roger Glover and Friends” title. Binks played for the pop band Fancy who had two U.S. hits in 1974 with a cover of Chip Taylor’s “Wild Thing”, and “Touch Me”.

Through his connection to Roger Glover who had just wrapped up production of their album Sin After Sin, Binks joined the up-and-coming heavy metal act Judas Priest in March 1977 for their world tour – their first on American soil. Binks stepped into the role Simon Phillips had held in the band. Binks remained with Judas Priest for two and a half years, until July 1979, recording the studio albums Stained Class and Killing Machine (both 1978) and the live album Unleashed in the East (1979), all of which feature a faster thrash metal, speed metal double bass drumming approach, thus helping to develop and explore new terrain within heavy metal music. Binks left the band just before the start of the North American leg of the “Killing Machine” (Hell Bent for Leather) tour. Binks said in 2017 that he left because he felt he was essentially hired as a “freelance session drummer” by the band and was never made an official member.

Binks toured with the bands Lionheart (1981) and Tytan (1982–1983) soon after their first single release. Since 2017,^[12] Binks performed classic Judas Priest songs live with a new band called Les Binks’ Priesthood. He additionally intended to join the band KK’s Priest after a one-time show in November 2019 playing Judas Priest songs at KK’s Steelmill in Wolverhampton, along with other former Judas Priest members K. K. Downing (guitar) and Tim “Ripper” Owens (vocals). Other participants included David Ellefson (bass) of Megadeth and A.J. Mills (guitar) of the UK band Hostile. However a fractured wrist stopped him from joining them.

In 2022, Binks was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Judas Priest via the Award for Musical Excellence.