Drumming News
Les Binks (8 August 1951 – 15 March 2025), the influential Northern Irish drummer who helped shape the sound of Judas Priest during their late-1970s ascent, has died at the age of 73. A funeral notice confirmed that Binks passed away peacefully in a London hospital on March 15. News of his passing was shared by Judas Priest via social media on April 14.
“We are deeply saddened about the passing of Les and send our love to his family, friends, and fans,” the band wrote. “The acclaimed drumming he provided was first class — demonstrating his unique techniques, flair, style and precision. Thank you, Les — your acclaim will live on.”
Binks was born James Leslie Binks on August 8, 1951, in Portadown, Northern Ireland. A self-taught drummer who began playing at age five, Binks relocated to London in the early 1970s and soon became an in-demand session and touring musician. Early credits included work with Eric Burdon (of The Animals), the funk group War, and a role in Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover’s 1974 concept album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper’s Feast.
Binks joined Judas Priest in March 1977 at a critical juncture in the band’s career. Glover, who had recently produced their album Sin After Sin, recommended Binks as a touring replacement for Simon Phillips, who had recorded drums for the album but declined to stay on. Binks quickly moved from temporary support to full-fledged member, bringing a level of technical precision and double bass drumming that would leave a lasting impact on the band’s sound.
His studio contributions began with Stained Class (1978), an album widely considered a turning point in the evolution of British heavy metal. Binks co-wrote the fan-favorite track “Beyond the Realms of Death” and provided the percussive backbone for “Exciter,” which helped usher in a faster, more aggressive form of metal. He continued with the band through Killing Machine (1978) — released in the U.S. as Hell Bent for Leather — and the celebrated live album Unleashed in the East (1979), recorded in Tokyo.
Binks’ innovative drumming on the single “Take on the World” marked Judas Priest’s first U.K. Top 40 hit. His distinctive patterns from that track were later echoed in live performances by synth-pop pioneers The Human League and sampled decades later by indie rock band Spoon on their 2021 single “Wild.”
Despite the musical success, Binks parted ways with Judas Priest in 1979 under strained circumstances. According to Binks, a dispute with the band’s then-manager Mike Dolan over compensation for Unleashed in the East led to his departure. “There were no musical or personal issues,” Binks said in a 2017 interview. “The split came down to a matter of principle — being asked to play without being paid was a line I wouldn’t cross.”
In the years that followed, Binks continued performing and recording with numerous rock and metal outfits, including Lionheart, Tytan, and Raw Glory. He remained active on the U.K. live circuit, playing both original material and classic Judas Priest tracks. Beginning in 2017, he toured with his own group, Les Binks’ Priesthood, revisiting the songs from his tenure in the band.
Though he never rejoined Judas Priest officially, Binks returned to the stage with them in 2022 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The performance — his first with the band in over four decades — was widely praised and marked a moment of closure and recognition for his essential role in Priest’s early sound.
Plans for him to appear on the debut album of K.K.’s Priest, a band formed by ex-Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing, were halted in 2020 after Binks suffered a wrist injury, though he had played a one-off show with the group in 2019.
A cause of death has not been made public.
