Ian Hill

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Ian Hill of Judas Priest

Ian Hill (born Ian Frank Hill, January 20, 1951, in West Bromwich, England) is a founding member and bassist for the Birmingham based heavy metal rock band, Judas Priest.

Hill learned how to play the double bass from his father, a bass player for local jazz acts. His father died when he was only fifteen, but his contribution to Hill was the foundation for years to come. In 1969, together with schoolmate K.K. Downing, Hill went off to form pioneering heavy metal band Judas Priest. He has been playing bass for the band ever since, and has witnessed the band achieve platinum-covered status around the world.

Hill is known for his solid and melodic bass playing, which proved to be the ideal background for the dual guitars of Downing and Glenn Tipton and Rob Halford's operatic vocals. He also played a twin-neck bass guitar in concert on the DVD Electric Eye. Hill is also responsible for finding the singer for Judas Priest, Rob Halford. He met him while he was dating Halford's sister, and mentioned that he needed a new vocalist for his band. Halford accepted leaving his band entitled "Hiroshima", and brought along drummer John Hinch, who would later be dropped by the band after one album due to "musical inadequacy", according to Tipton in later years.