Heavy metal singer
Rob Halford (b. 1951) is an English-born rock star who is best known as the lead vocalist for the band
Judas Priest.
He is one of the pioneers of the operatic vocal style later to be
adopted by power metal vocalists and regularly appears near the top in
lists of the greatest rock vocalists/front-men of all time.
Significantly, Halford came out in 1998, making him the first openly gay
heavy metal musician.
Judas Priest was formed in 1974, and their first album was
released that same year. A dozen albums later the band changed its
appearance and sound. In 1990, with the release of Painkiller, the band
dropped its synthesizer sound, and Halford unveiled his new look:
tattoos, a shaved head and studded leather biker/S&M outfits. He
claimed that this was an attempt to find an outlet for the angst caused
by his hidden sexuality, while giving him a professional reason to
frequent S&M shops. No stranger to shock value, Halford was known to
ride a motorcycle on stage and fire a machine gun into the crowds
(loaded with blanks, of course).
He later confessed that hiding his sexuality during his career with
Judas Priest caused him a lot of depression and isolation, leading to
alcohol and drug abuse. His personal struggles are reflected in the gay
and S&M themes of some Judas Priest songs, such as "Raw Deal" and
"Pain and Pleasure".
In 1992 Halford and Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis left the band to
form Fight, eventually moving on to other projects. By 2003 Halford had
rejoined Judas Priest and participated in their around the world tour
(2005) to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary. In 2011 at age 60,
Halford participated in what was billed as Judas Priest’s final tour.
The band has sold more than 30 million albums and won numerous Grammy
Awards along the way.
Halford has been clean and sober since successfully completing rehab in
1986 for a painkiller overdose. These days he resides in homes in
Amsterdam, Phoenix, San Diego and his native England. Although he did
not acquire a drivers license until he was 38 years old, he is an avid
collector of classic cars, including a prized 1970s-era Aston Martin
DBS.
Note: Thanks to blog reader André for suggesting a post on Mr. Halford.
