Portadown native Les Binks of Judas Priest fame is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles

Binks, who was born in Portadown in 1948, had played for the heavy metal band Judas Priest in their hay days in the 1970s.

On Saturday, Binks, though he had left the band in 1979, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Judas Priest via the Award for Musical Excellence. His bandmate KK Downing had previously revealed he and Binks would be reuniting for a Judas Priest performance at the induction ceremony.

-

-

The three song set on which Binks performed at the Los Angeles ceremony marked his first appearance with the band in 43 years. The songs were ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin', ‘Breaking The Law’ and ‘Living After Midnight’.

Binks and the rest of Judas Priest were welcomed on stage by rock legend Alice Cooper, who described the group as ‘the definitive metal band’.

Judas Priest’s current line up include Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, and Scott Travis. However previous members of the group were also recognised including Downing, who was in the band from 1970 until 2011, Binks, who played with Judas Priest from 1977 to 1979, and the late Dave Holland, who was in the group from 1979 to 1989.

Based now in London, Les has never strayed far from music, playing in various bands since his stint in Judas Priest, and announced a project recently called Les Binks’ Priesthood, a group he has put together to play Judas Priest songs from the era he was involved with the band.