Glenn Tipton at 79: A Guitar Birthday With Judas Priest
Glenn Tipton turns 79 on October 25, 2026. Revisit his arrival in Judas Priest, Rory Gallagher inspiration and custom Hamer Phantom.
Glenn Tipton turns 79 on October 25, 2026.
Glenn Tipton was born on October 25, 1947. He joined Judas Priest in April 1974, when the band was looking to strengthen its sound with a second guitarist or a keyboard player. They chose another guitar.
Tipton names Rory Gallagher as his main guitar-playing inspiration. His own instruments became distinctive too: around 1984, he began using a custom Hamer Phantom built by Jol Dantzig, with an EMG humbucker, Kahler tremolo and a single volume control. Want to dig deeper into his guitars and gear? Read our full Glenn Tipton guide.
Glenn Tipton performing in Luxembourg on June 11, 2008. Photo: Tilly antoine / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and padded; adapted image shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source photograph. CC BY-SA 4.0.
