{{BLP sources|date=October 2011}} {{Use British English|date=May 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Al Atkins | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1947|10|14}}<br/>West Bromwich, West Midlands, England | alias = | genre = Heavy metal, blues rock, hard rock | occupation = Vocalist | associated_acts = Judas Priest, Lion, Simon Lees, Holy Rage, Atkins May Project | label = | years_active = 1964–present }} '''Alan John Atkins''' (born 14 October 1947)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Atkins |first1=Al |last2=Daniels |first2=Neil |title=Dawn of the Metal Gods. My life in Judas Priest and Heavy Metal |year=2009 |publisher=IronPages Books |isbn= 978-3-931624-56-9 |page=10}}</ref> is an English heavy metal vocalist, best known for being the original lead vocalist and founder of Judas Priest.
==Biography== Atkins formed what would become Judas Priest in 1969. With a wife and young daughter to support, Atkins was forced to drop out of Judas Priest "to get a 9-to-5 job" in May 1973.<ref name="ultimateclassicrock1">{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ex-judas-priest-singer-says-band-couldve-sounded-like-acdc-if-he-stuck-around/ |title=Ex-Judas Priest Singer Says Band Could've Sounded Like AC/DC If He Stuck Around |date=11 February 2012 |publisher=Ultimateclassicrock.com |access-date=2014-05-18}}</ref> Atkins' position as lead vocalist was succeeded by Rob Halford. With Atkins out of the group, no founding members of the band remained (original members Brian "Bruno" Stapenhill, and John Partridge had left the band in 1970, and John Perry committed suicide in 1969). Atkins received writing credits on the first two Judas Priest albums ''Rocka Rolla'' and ''Sad Wings of Destiny''.
As of 2012, Atkins fronts the band Atkins/May Project, which also features guitarist Paul May.<ref name="ultimateclassicrock1"/> A press release dated 21 May 2011 stated that Atkins would be contributing session vocals for the heavy metal opera project, Lyraka.<ref>[http://www.bravewords.com/news/162371/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525060656/http://www.bravewords.com/news/162371/|date=25 May 2011}}</ref> In 2013, Atkins recorded a solo album of his favorite songs written between his days in Judas Priest and his ''Holy Rage'' days.
==Discography== ===Judas Priest=== * ''Rocka Rolla'' (1974) (credited for writing "Winter", "Never Satisfied", and "Caviar and Meths") * ''Sad Wings of Destiny'' (1976) (credited for writing "Victim of Changes" and "Dreamer Deceiver")
===Solo=== * ''Judgement Day'' (1990) * ''Dreams of Avalon'' (1991) * ''Heavy Thoughts'' (1994) (released in 2003 with two bonus tracks) * ''Victim of Changes'' (1998) * ''Demon Deceiver'' (2007) * ''Demon Deceiver... Plus'' (re-release with two bonus tracks, 2009) * ''Reloaded'' (re-recorded "best of", featuring Ian Hill, Ralf Scheepers, Roy Z and more special guests, 2017)
===Holy Rage=== * ''Holy Rage'' (2010)
===Atkins / May Project=== * ''Serpents Kiss'' (2011) * ''Valley of Shadows'' (2012) * ''Empire of Destruction'' (2014) * ''Anthology'' (compilation, 2015) * ''The Final Cut'' (2020)
===Albums (guest sessions)=== '''Lyraka''' *''Lyraka Volume 2 (not yet released)''
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Judas Priest}}
{{Authority control}}{{UK-singer-stub}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Al}} Category:1947 births Category:20th-century English male singers Category:21st-century English male singers Category:English heavy metal singers Category:English male rock singers Category:English male songwriters Category:Judas Priest members Category:Living people Category:People from West Bromwich Category:Singers from Birmingham, West Midlands