Judas Priest Rocker Reveals Brain Damage After Suffering Stroke: Richie Faulkner Opens Up

Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner is opening up about the ongoing health setbacks he has faced since his 2021 emergency heart surgery.

In a new interview with Premier Guitar, the legendary rocker revealed that he has permanent brain damage after suffering a stroke, “collateral damage” from the an acute cardiac aortic dissection he suffered while playing at the Louder Than Life festival in 2021.

Following the 2021 health emergency, Faulkner underwent a 10-hour surgery that ultimately saved his life, and he went on to rejoin his bandmates on the road in 2022. But according to Faulkner, “there’s a bit of collateral damage. Not a lot of people know — some nearest and dearest, they know about it.”

“About a month after the incident, I went back in and we were walking the dog in the neighborhood back here [in Nashville], and I had the dog. [My girlfriend] Mariah had [our daughter] Daisy. And I felt it come,” he recalled. “I felt it, and it came over me and I knew it was coming and it came over me and my face went. I couldn’t talk. And Mariah was there. She took the dog, she had the baby, and she was holding me up. The neighbors were running out.”

Faulkner was rushed to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with TIA, a Transient Ischemic Attack, often referred to as a “mini-stroke.” He said he experienced another TIA about a year later and underwent another heart surgery. Although the guitarist again returned to touring, he noticed that “something was different” about how he used his right hand to play guitar and brush his teeth. When he saw a doctor about his concerns, it was determined he’d actually suffered a stroke.

“They found some damage on the left side of the brain, which affects the right side [of my body],” Faulkner said. “Now, fortunately, I don’t play guitar with my foot, so that’s fine. I can get away with that. But my hand, obviously, that’s our engine room. And everything started clicking into place in regards to what I was feeling on stage.”

Faulkner said he initially hesitated to speak out about his health issues because he felt “a lot of fear” that he’d lose the trust of his “fanbase, from guitar companies, the string companies.” However, he felt it was important speak out “so people might know what it is. I don’t have to hide it anymore. It’s not an excuse to take my foot off the gas — that’s just not in my being — but just so people know.”

Faulkner joined Judas Priest in 2011, replacing K.K. Downing. The group is currently playing a string of European/UK festival and headlining dates through late July.