Judas Priest Drummer Les Binks Dies at 73

Les Binks, former drummer for Judas Priest, has died at age 73, with the band announcing his passing in an emotional social media tribute. Binks was a key contributor to the influential albums 'Stained Class,' 'Killing Machine,' and the live album 'Unleashed in the East' during his tenure from 1977 to 1979. He left the band following a dispute with management over unpaid work on the live album. Binks continued to perform music after his departure and reunited with Judas Priest for their 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, one of his last public appearances. He died peacefully in a London hospital, though the cause of death has not been disclosed. Fans and bandmates have praised his lasting influence on heavy metal drumming.