In a brand new interview with Meltdown of Detroit radio station WRIF, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked if fans can expect to hear new music from the band in 2020. "Probably not, no," he responded. "But we're starting work [on new material]. And like I've always said, it'll be ready when it's ready. But we're probably moving faster than we ever did, because the clock is ticking. Thank you, ROLLING STONES. When I watch Mick [Jagger] and the boys, man, it makes my heart swell. And [the way] those guys are doing it at that point in their life — man. I said year ago, I wanna be screaming out 'Painkiller' when I turn 80; I wanna be on a stage somewhere.

"It's a beautiful life in rock and roll, and I never wanna switch it off, man; I wanna keep that electricity buzzing," he continued. "It's so important, as a musician, to have that connectivity, and that connectivity is stronger than ever now with our beautiful fans and supporters."

Rob also spoke about the health status of JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton, who announced his retirement from touring in February 2018 after revealing that he was battling Parkinson's disease. The 72-year-old guitarist passed on the torch to the producer of 2018's "Firepower" LP, Andy Sneap.

"Glenn's doing well," Halford said. "In fact, we stay in touch, and he's got his guitar on and he's putting down riffs and ideas for new PRIEST music. He's a hero. We have a song on 'Firepower' called 'No Surrender'. Glenn's with us in spirit wherever we play. Andy's doing a great job in Glenn's part of the stage.

"Just say hi to Glenn on social media on the PRIEST site," Rob added. "He looks at it. It means the world to him. He loves his fans passionately. And so anything like that thrown in Glenn's way is a real thrill for him."

Tipton was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disorder nearly six years ago, after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. The guitarist, who has performed on every PRIEST record since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.

Glenn has appeared onstage with PRIEST many times following his retirement, always performing the same fan-favorite tracks "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and "Livin' After Midnight".

JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2020 and 2021 with a run of shows across Europe and North America.