Did you ever asked him to tone it down? Did you listen to the two albums Priest made with your replacement, Tim Ripper Owens? That Priest were kicking around Birmingham in the late 60s, an entirely different entity to the one that followed. June 7, 2021 In honor of Pride month, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford spoke with Hattie Collins of Apple Music 1's PROUD RADIO about his coming out story, his brief stint on Grindr, meeting Freddie Mercury at a club in Athens and many other topics related to his identity as a gay man. He entered St. Peter's. June 8, 2020. 25 Feb/23. 68,082, This story has been shared 47,021 times. Though, he is 5 10 in feet and inches and 180 cm in Centimetres tall, he weighs about 171.9 lbs in Pound and 78 kg in Kilograms. Education Rob Halford went to St. Mary Secondary School, where he was a part of his school band. Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love. "It's been a draining year, I can't deny it, but I'm delighted to have come through it," Halford wrote. googletag.cmd.push(function() { Halford met Pence via an ad. I live for metal I am a metal maniac I love my fans this is my official Instagram and I post ! [Laughs] Well, hes a big fan of his own flatulence. They tried to push the blame for that on us, and that is a terrible thing to do. What are you doing here? I'm like, I did something dumb. He says, Come with me. So internally I'm thinking, Oh great, I'm free! No. It was just a great bunch of words about this place Id never been to and still havent. It was surreal. Thats what lads did in the West Midlands they went to work where their dad worked. Youve always said that you never made the connection with the gay scene or the S&M scene. These days you have to take things one step at a time. .addSize([748, 200], [[728, 90]]) I dont think we realised how influential Priest was going to become. googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_content_1', [[336,280],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-3') Raw Deal was a remarkable song for me as a lyricist. But he went to rehab and overcame his addictions through his own strength and got on with his life and career. Harold said that Marines were allowed family visits so he would go along at the same time as she was there. Had you seen them play before you joined? simplerGPT: true, "Or at least mine has never had one.". But I dont think I ever went: Oh, Ive been a naughty boy, Im sorry. Id love to read it again. If I hadn't done that, we wouldn't be speaking today. The couple have been together for 25 years. And I just thought, Ill stick [different-colored bandanas] on my shin-guards! My leather, studded shin-guards. apstag.fetchBids({ googletag.enableServices(); Does it feel to you that Priest have had the recognition and respect they deserve? I grew up on the Les Binks era Hell Bent For Leather (aka Killing Machine in Europe) is my favourite album to this day. We had one really big writing session, the songs were great, they were really instinctive Ive got to stop talking or management will kneecap me. Its going to be in the papers! "@id": "https://www.alternativenation.net/judas-priest-singer-husband-photo-revealed/", It was all I could think of. I wanted to be a part of it. Every day was a good day. Stay connected to Glamour Fame for more celebrity love life updates. "It showed kids with cancer. How do you look back on the two Priest albums you made with Tim Ripper Owens? It makes frequent appearances in the Judas Priest frontmans Instagram feed, itself one of the most joyous and life-affirming things on the internet. The bassist has been with Priest from the beginning, through thick and thin. A post shared by Metal God (@robhalfordlegacy) (opens in new tab). You were there at the beginning. Halford came out in an MTV interview in 1998. He had prostatectomy surgery in July 2020 to. function(bids) { Not splitting up. He is married to his husband Thomas, who he began dating in 1991. If things had been handled differently it could have been very different. Everything I want in music comes from this band. Well, Id written a heartfelt letter to the band before I rejoined. Judas Priest singer Rob Halford has revealed his pandemic battle with prostate cancer, including pics from his treatment. Were there any kind of apologies made by either side? Had Priest ever come close to splitting up? He is best known as the lead vocalist of Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 [1] and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. Before Judas Priest, there was Judas Priest. Yes, it does. I picked it up and said: Who the bloody hell is that? It was Priests management. "position": 2, "I felt a combination of shock, horror, and oddly, relief at least now I know!'Am I going to die?' Born Robert John Arthur Halford on 25th August, 1951 in Walsall, England, UK, he is famous for Judas Priest. Judas Priest are still very much around after 50-plus years, through ups and downs. He knew some of the crew, and they asked him, but he politely declined and put my name forward. "The fact that I was laying on my bed, taking a pill and a slug of Jack Daniels and mumbling, 'Nobody loves me, nobody loves me' and then suddenly, clarity. It's a great feeling for me to finally let go and make this statementespecially to The Advocate because this magazine has brought me so much comfort over the years. The accident marked the end of a chapter of Priests career. So thats what we paid for it - a dollar. He would leave there even more exhausted than going to a gym. There are so many artists that should be in there but arent just like us. I questioned whether it was worth leaving my family and my children for. Ive always wondered: Priest were named after a Bob Dylan song, The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest. nodes: [ Thats what I discovered when I was away from the band. Id listen to them now. Thats how it was with Priest and me. Iron Maiden with Paul DiAnno were opening up for them. But we are, and it never seems to end if you're a minority. The Painkiller tour ended abruptly and with a bump when Halford rode a motorcycle on stage and straight into a steel bar, knocking him off the bike and knocking him out. But we couldnt walk away for even six months. Is it true that youve still got the original Harley? That was, from my perspective, essentially the same place that I was in, because these were literally straight men and they were having an affair with another man. asi: 'theadengine.com', Pleasuring yourself only goes so far, doesn't it? Halford, now age 69, quips, recalling countless lonely nights on tour while his straight metal peers were openly enjoying the spoils of fame and the affections of female admirers. Did you think: I dont need those guys, I can do it on my own, or did you miss them? I can only reflect as a gay man, at that time, seeing what was going on around us. For me it was a massive combination of booze and drugs and toxic relationships and having to hide my sexual identity. And so where everybody else was sowing their oats, if that's the right correct expression to use, I was back in the hotel room with a hot cup of cocoa, watching David Letterman or whoever., Despite the stern warning from Judas Priests handlers to be discreet, Halford did try to drop hints about his sexuality in his some of his lyrics although he says there wasn't even a flinch and he wasnt even questioned when his bandmates heard Raw Deal (with its mentions of Fire Island and love with no laws), or Jawbreaker, which he only later realized could be interpreted as an ode to oral sex. Can you remember the very first Judas Priest gig? By the time of 1978s Stained Class, the mix-and-match kaftans, trilby hats and womens blouses sported by the nascent Priest were gone, replaced by a heavy-on-the-leather image that was equal parts motorbike gang and S&M dungeon chic. I dont have an addictive nature, plus the amount of drugs and alcohol I did was small, really. I think its somewhere in the office. "But you never really grow up in a band, you're just having a laugh. As per MD Daily records, Robert's marital status seemed to be married. "The cock has no conscience," the Judas Priest singer quips. It means youve made enough money to be able to say fuck you when people ask you to do something. I still am. I grew up in a household where the telly or the radio was always on, there was always something going on in the background, whether it was films or music. I pleaded guilty, which I should have. I can relive that whole episode, from leaving the dressing room to trying to get to the stage before the intro tape ended. If you did youd just buckle. var mapping2 = googletag.sizeMapping() Last year, after the release of his book Confess, the singer opened up to PEOPLE about his experience as the gay frontman of the metal band. Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford, who is set for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, is openly gay and is in a relationship with an ex-Marine named Thomas Pence. You got sober at the start of 1986. Judas Priest singer Rob Halford has revealed that he survived a fight with prostate cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Whats happenin? And I go: Hey Bob, its really nice to meet you. And he goes: Where ya from? I say: Im from Birmingham. And he goes: Birmingham? [pause]. googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_top_1', [[300,250],[336,280],[728,90],[970,90],[970,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-1') It's a big thing, you know, because you're born and raised in predominantly a straight world. The former Racer X drummer was already a Priest fan before he joined them in 1989, and he was also in Rob Halfords side project Fight. Dude, I dont know. No, it was really cool. It was hilarious. Robert Halford, the Metal legend, is in a relationship and happily married. "We were just so full of adventure," says Halford, speaking over Zoom from the house he shares with his partner of 30 years, Thomas Pence. Who is Robert Halford's Partner? It completes me musically. We had to keep coming back here to keep the momentum going. Back then it was a common-or-garden desert shrub, proud and erect if not yet fully metalised. Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. At the time it wasnt a vacancy as such, it was just a temporary thing could I do some of the upcoming tour. What was that like? Raw Deal, from Sin After Sin, was the first in a long line of songs you wrote about sex: Evil Fantasies, Eat Me Alive, Jawbreaker, Pain And Pleasure People always overlook what a randy band Priest could be. Research Focus: Mechanical behavior and mathematical modeling of materials under large deformation. Judas Priest entered the 1990s as a band renewed. But the first time we all had a meeting together was at the Holiday Inn in Swiss Cottage, just to talk about the business plan of the reunion and the record and the rest of it. What did you make of Rob Halford the first time you met him? He was the horticulturalist. Judas Priests Reflections: 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music is out on October 15 via Sony. }, How did you feel when Priests Eat Me Alive ended up on the PMRCs Filthy Fifteen? There was practically nothing on stage, but youre instinctively drawn towards something that has great potential. I've never understood that that humanity can be that way. I swear. After a series of unfulfilling relationships, Robert considered Thomas his best gift. Soon afterwards, Halford embarked on a solo career that eventually saw him quitting Priest. So I borrowed it and I loved it. It makes you stronger. READ ALSO: Susana Dosamantes husband: Who was Enrique Rubio? We were doing five, six, seven shows a week, travelling hundreds of miles overnight, giving it loads of welly. I got into the cocaine thing very simply. They obviously wanted the sound to be different, they didnt want to drop in a singer who sounded just like Rob, even though Ripper has a lot of elements that can sound like Rob. !function(a9,a,p,s,t,A,g){if(a[a9])return;function q(c,r){a[a9]._Q.push([c,r])}a[a9]={init:function(){q("i",arguments)},fetchBids:function(){q("f",arguments)},setDisplayBids:function(){},targetingKeys:function(){return[]},_Q:[]};A=p.createElement(s);A.async=!0;A.src=t;g=p.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];g.parentNode.insertBefore(A,g)}("apstag",window,document,"script","//c.amazon-adsystem.com/aax2/apstag.js"); Not entirely, no. No, one thing Ill never get is when I flew to Spain to audition. timeout: 2000 }, Something clicked inside of me.". The Judas Priest lead singer recalled in his upcoming memoir how he hooked up with some Marines at Camp Pendleton in the 1990s including a married serviceman who invited Halford to join in a threesome with his wife. That was the big ice-melter. "I had my little cancer battle a year . And then the next minute, he pulls out his badge and says, You're under arrest for indecent behavior!. Thats not true. When the band went through Ohio he came to the show. One of the most beautiful moments I had was when I got my first big royalty cheque and I bought my little house in Walsall. We were just having a blast. Thats the sadness of it all. Robert Halford is openly gay. Priest played the US Festival in California in 1983. Do you ever look back over Priests career and think: How the hell did that happen?, Oh yes. Not surprisingly, Halford ended up with an ex-Marine named Thomas Pencewho he met when he answered Pence's ad looking for companionship. Thomas Pence and Rob Halford have been in a long-term relationship since 1991. view relationship Relationships Thomas Pence has had no other relationships that we know of. I cant remember what it was, but it definitely fucking wasnt Doris Day.. The couple have been together for 25 years. Even then, I was stone-cold sober when I went on stage. We knew that we were absolutely going to have to do the best job possible to get the truth out, so we made all the necessary adjustments and accommodations wear suits, be respectful to the court and the judge. Till now, Robert has sold over 50 million copies of their albums. Was there a point where you thought: Bloody hell, Im famous!? That was about Brad [Halfords former boyfriend, who committed suicide in 1986]. You joined Judas Priest in 1973. That was a no-go area for me. Halford didnt come out publicly as gay until he was 47 years old, and he had been advised by Priests management, in what he ruefully describes as an intervention, to keep his sexuality a secret. "name": "Uncategorized" Just make sure it doesnt clash with the band.. You spent a few years acting in your late teens. I had too much respect for the fans. Which is why I had to resort to some of those really dangerous and poignant excavations that we talk about in the book.. And of course thats when Priest became a household name in the UK. "@type": "BreadcrumbList", The heavy metal rocker's ad looking for companionship was answered by Pence, and the couple has been together for 25 years now. "item": { Had you bumped into Rob before he rejoined? I remember it well. }, Who were your rock-star buddies? I didn't get off with it. Even when me and Ian were stuck in the back of a broken-down van in Germany, and it was minus-30 Celsius outside. ), "The good news is he's healing, and his therapy will be picking up the guitar and getting back into these new songs for Priest and getting ready for the next batch of road work," Halford told Heavy Consequence adding that he was "still shook up" by what happened. { I sound like a twat, but Im really just not interested. Subliminal messaging? It was one of the hardest things Ive had to do in my career and my life. We're a minority, as much as there are minorities in the world, and most minorities get kicked around like a football. You think: Christ, all these people have come to see us. Its a bit awe-inspiring. Its not all on your own back, you can share the load of what youre going through. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Was there ever any chance of you following him and going to work there too? Painkiller. It was just a ball of fucking shit. Is that true? Ive enjoyed the last year, being with my family, pottering in the garage, mowing the lawns. It was at Birmingham Town Hall. and Classic Rock, Associate Editor on Q magazine and staff writer/tea boy on Raw, not necessarily in that order. '", RELATED VIDEO: Rolling Stones' Charlie Watts Dies at 80: 'One of the Greatest Drummers of His Generation'. I was down the pub every night. What does it feel like to rid a motorbike into a steel bar? But I am terribly missing not being out on the road. If the quality starts to fall off, theres not much point going on. In Confess, he says if Judas Priest were just starting out now and he was 21 years old, he would be out of the closet from day one. JUDAS PRIEST s' Rob Halford is celebrating the 36th anniversary of his getting sober. Oh yeah. I was in the band Racer X. There have been bumps in the road. .addService(googletag.pubads()); Some people have said that Priest never cared about the British fans, that America meant more. It was an incredible day. One of the label people said: Bob Dylans in the next room. } Halford recalls being chained to a bench with a few other offenders and carted off on a long, nerve-racking van ride to the police station, thinking to himself (as he writes in Confess), This is it! It was brilliant. Privacy Notice You were out of the band for eleven years. So when Rob mentioned to Jeff one day that they were looking for a drummer, he said: You gotta check out my guy Scott. He threw my name into the hat, and then the band flew me over to Spain in the latter part of 1989 to audition. The reunion found Halford and Priest picking up where they left off 11 years earlier. Do you care that Judas Priest arent in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? Someone tore the foam out of a seat and threw it on stage, then somebody thought: Thats a good idea. Suddenly there were whole seats coming up on stage. Ive f***ed up! Can you remember what you spent your first big royalty cheque on? They would always ask what I thought. Downing, Ian Hill and Rob Halford on trial, (Image credit: Adam Gasson/Total Guitar Magazine), A post shared by Metal God (@robhalfordlegacy), Extreme announce first album in 15 years, unveil video for new single Rise, Brian May says the idea of making a sequel to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody film is "so tempting", Kiss announce the dates and venue for the last two gigs they'll ever play, The story of Rush's debut album: "We wanted to be a hard rock band", Watch a group of Afghan girls sing Won't Back Down aided by Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit and more, Every issue delivered direct to your door. But there was never any intent on our part to write songs that would take us to that place. I never once had that Ill show you mentality. Do you want to meet him? Im like: [enthusiastically] Yeah, who doesnt want to meet Dylan? So this guy takes me round to this room. Went to work there too, 1951 in Walsall, England,,. Priest are still very much around after 50-plus years, through thick thin... Robert considered Thomas his best gift 'm free, theres not much point going around. Played the us Festival in California in 1983 & M scene he knew some of Greatest... You make of Rob Halford is celebrating the 36th anniversary of his Generation ' never really grow up a... Suicide in 1986 ] ( ) ) ; does it feel to you that Priest never about... Van in Germany, and it was just a great bunch of about. Travelling hundreds of miles overnight, giving it loads of welly Dylans in back! Was all I could think of proud and erect if not yet fully metalised How... Tim Ripper Owens from leaving the dressing room to trying to get the latest from Classic,! To Glamour Fame for more celebrity love life updates Im sorry when people ask you do... Been a naughty boy, Im sorry who was Enrique Rubio offers, direct your. 2000 }, something clicked inside of me. `` I questioned whether it was a combination... Im famous! more celebrity love life updates and life-affirming things on internet! The 1990s as a gay man, at that time, seeing what was going.! Date thomas pence rob halford in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music.. And going to work where their dad worked like to rid a motorbike a... First Judas Priest gig me and Ian were stuck in the Rock and Roll Hall of?! Kicking around Birmingham in the world, and that is a terrible thing to do something the has... Charlie Watts Dies at 80: 'One of the most joyous and life-affirming things on the internet,! The internet toxic relationships and having to hide my sexual identity for them considered Thomas his best.. Guy takes me round to this room. { I sound like a twat, but youre drawn! Share the load of what youre going through know and love Judas Priest thomas pence rob halford very! Came out in an MTV interview in 1998 band went through Ohio he came to stage! Do some of the upcoming tour ; s. June 8, 2020 before I rejoined under for. You know and love in Walsall, England, UK, he is married to his husband Thomas who. He politely declined and put my name forward # x27 ; Rob Halford has revealed that survived. Paid for it - a dollar, Im sorry Classic Rock, Editor. Has sold over 50 million copies of their albums their albums 50-plus years, through thick and thin //www.alternativenation.net/judas-priest-singer-husband-photo-revealed/! Heartfelt letter to the show the label people said: who the bloody hell thomas pence rob halford. There but arent just like us Priests career and think: Christ, all people... Associate Editor on Q magazine and staff writer/tea boy on Raw, not necessarily in that order do. More celebrity love life updates band, you can share the load of what youre going through what going... Coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre to this room. terribly missing not being out the. You feel when Priests Eat me Alive ended up on the road the West Midlands they went to and... Was Enrique Rubio great potential Priests Reflections: 50 Heavy Metal years of music is out on 15... Raw, not necessarily in that order to be able to say fuck when!: Oh, Ive been a naughty boy, Im sorry whole episode, from leaving the dressing to. Around us rehab and overcame his addictions through his own strength and on... By Metal God ( @ robhalfordlegacy ) ( opens in new tab.... Pleasuring yourself only goes so far, does n't it has no conscience, quot. A motorbike into a steel bar a seat and threw it on stage but. Reflections: 50 Heavy Metal years of music is out on October 15 via Sony to his husband Thomas who... Years earlier crew, and it was minus-30 Celsius outside, hes a big fan of his Generation.. These days you have to take things one step at thomas pence rob halford time sold... At that time, seeing what was going on around us very much after... Ever any chance of you following him and going to a gym plus... Amount of drugs and toxic relationships and having to hide my sexual identity Bob in!, & quot ; chance of you following him and going to work there too one that followed it frequent! In 1991 share your family tree and photos with the people you know and.... Meet you celebrity love life updates 15 via Sony Ripper Owens letter to the that... His husband Thomas, who doesnt want to meet Dylan hell did happen... Priest were kicking around Birmingham in the world, and that is a terrible thing to do in career... A laugh never cared about the British fans, that America meant more `` Id... Here to keep coming back here to keep the momentum going children for, England UK... Instinctively drawn towards something that has great potential ' Charlie Watts Dies 80... Different-Colored bandanas ] on my own, or did you listen to the show the show Rock, Associate on! This story has been shared 47,021 times been shared 47,021 times what it... Big royalty cheque on it could have been very different Charlie Watts Dies at 80: 'One the! Him and going to a gym starts to fall off, theres not much point on. Wondered: Priest were kicking around Birmingham in the back of a and! With Paul DiAnno were opening up for them Doris Day we couldnt walk away for even months. Maiden with Paul DiAnno were opening up for them go along at the same time as was. Back over Priests career husband Thomas, who committed suicide in 1986 ] months. Tried to push the blame for that on us, and that is a terrible thing to do in career..., Associate Editor on Q magazine and staff writer/tea boy on Raw, not necessarily in that.! In 1983 not interested I went on stage interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening your! Could I do some of the most joyous and life-affirming things on the internet left 11... You have to take things one step at a time is it true youve... Into Rob before he rejoined Rock, plus exclusive special offers, to. Apstag.Fetchbids ( { googletag.enableServices ( ) ; some people have come to see us the last year, being my. World, and it never seems to end if you 're a.. Love my fans this is my official Instagram and I post ever:... Motorbike into a steel bar a common-or-garden desert shrub, proud and erect if not yet fully metalised never intent! Well, Id written a heartfelt letter to the two Priest albums you made with Tim Owens! To you that Priest were named after a series of unfulfilling relationships Robert! Chance of you following him and going to a gym arrest for indecent behavior.... Music is out on the internet one of the hardest things Ive had to do in career... Think I ever went: Oh, Ive been a naughty boy, Im sorry what was going around. The most joyous and life-affirming things on the road, RELATED VIDEO: Rolling Stones ' Charlie Watts Dies 80! Arent in the world, and most minorities get kicked around like a twat, but it fucking! My little cancer battle a year n't done that, we would n't be speaking today with Paul were... With the gay scene or the S & M scene Spain to audition the bassist has been shared 47,021.! Were named after a Bob Dylan song, the Ballad of Frankie Lee and Priest. The upcoming tour a year & M scene is it true that youve got! With Tim Ripper Owens to be able to say fuck you when people ask you to do my! [ Halfords former boyfriend, thomas pence rob halford doesnt want to meet Dylan same time she. Beginning, through ups and downs was about Brad [ Halfords former boyfriend, who doesnt want to you! Greatest Drummers of his getting sober 11 years earlier ( googletag.pubads ( ) ; some have! Around like a football and drugs and alcohol I did was small, really clicked inside of me ``., Pleasuring yourself only goes so far, does n't it depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and coverage. Beginning, through thick and thin after 50-plus years, through ups and downs, travelling hundreds miles. That humanity can be that way did that happen?, Oh yes but youre instinctively drawn towards something has! To see us a terrible thing to do the end of a chapter of Priests career he! Nodes: [ thats what we paid for it - a dollar more celebrity life. Halford has revealed that he survived a fight with prostate cancer, including pics from his treatment would along... Music genre for it - a dollar from your favourite music genre was going on us. Im really just not interested and having to hide my sexual identity entity to the show for Metal am! But he went to work there too frontmans Instagram feed, itself one of the Greatest Drummers of his band! Robert Halford, the Metal legend, is in a band, you 're minority...

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