Judas Priest rocker basks in Grammy glory

Veteran rocker Ken Downing is basking in the glow of congratulatory messages after winning his first Grammy award with Judas Priest after nearly 40 years in the band.

A "well done, mate" e-mail has just arrived from Robert Plant, former Led Zeppelin frontman and fellow Black Countryman, and KK, as he is known to fans, is delighted.

The only downside to the win, for Best Metal Performance, after five nominations stretching over 20 years, is that he was not in Los Angeles to receive it, opting instead to stay home at Astbury Hall, his sprawling 19th-century mansion near Bridgnorth.

"Having been the bridesmaid and not the bride so often, I decided not to go. Before Christmas I'd been away in Scotland, Finland and London and I just wanted to spend January at home.

"They rang me from a mobile at midnight on Sunday to tell me the news. Hearing about the after-show party, I wish I'd gone. But I'm thrilled about the award – it's the big one. Not bad for a lad from Hill Top, West Bromwich."

Last month's trip to Scotland was to attend a friend's wedding after hearing the bride would be walking down the aisle to Judas Priest track Lost Love from their Nostradamus album.

Perfectionist Ken insisted on taking over the entire acoustics for the ceremony, mixing in a bit of Vivaldi's Four Seasons at the start.

"It was bizarre. The guests were sitting there expecting to hear Here Comes The Bride and out blasts Judas Priest – but it's a beautiful song."

There is another reason for the aimiable metal god's presence at Astbury this month. He is overseeing the construction of an 18-hole golf course in the 300-acre grounds, a project that got under way last year.

Nine holes have been completed and were used for a charity event by the Lord Taverners in September. It is hoped to finish the course this year and even get a few celebrities over to christen it.

His unlikely passion for the sport started as a way of filling in time on tour.

"It was better than vegetating, otherwise we'd be in the bar till two in the morning," he says.

"When I started it was just a bit of fun. But I became smitten and started having lessons. When I bought this place I thought it would make a great family home but the family never happened and it seemed a shame not to make use of such a beautiful estate."

Now aged 58, Ken's life appears to be little different from the days when Judas Priest first hit the big time.

Still sporting the rock guitarist's uniform of flowing blond locks and skin-tight jeans, he agrees.

"It's all touring, writing and recording, although these days we travel in a nice bus and get to fly if it's too far. We still travel a lot – in the last couple of years we've done China, Japan, Istanbul, Columbia, the Baltic states, Russia – and there are still lots of places I want to go but I try to get home more often.

"We're hoping to tour Nostradamus. It lends itself fabulously to that kind of treatment so that's something to work on this year."

The Grammy, when it arrives, will be displayed in an upstairs office decorated wall-to-wall in gold and platinum discs, photos and awards of all descriptions.

Ken says: "We struggled for a long while. It's nice to have them."

By Marion Brennan