I see a bunch of guys who were very confused, very angry, very determined. It was just a ball of fucking shit. I believe you can only cure addiction by beating it yourself. In true musician form, it was two p.m. and I was in bed Id taken someone to the airport early that morning and I was catching up on sleep when the phone rang. It was one of the hardest things Ive had to do in my career and my life. No, it was really cool. Rob: "I still love being in a band even when PRIEST was at the height of its success in the '70s and on 'Top of the Pops', we always kept our noses to the grindstone and never put our feet up . What was that like? Priests new boy, who replaced KK Downing, has been with the band since 2011 and has so far played on 2014s Redeemer Of Souls and their latest album, 2018s Firepower. In a new interview with Heavy Consequence, the 70-year-old Metal God casually mentioned that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the spring of 2020 but is thankfully now in remission. But we are, and it never seems to end if you're a minority. I was living at my parents house, and I remember the postman knocking at the door and handing me my one copy of the record. Youve always said that you never made the connection with the gay scene or the S&M scene. I was put on probation, which I should have. Your dad worked at the local steelworks. googletag.cmd.push(function(){ The Youve Got Another Thing Coming singer writes that he had an affair with Hank, who then introduced him to another married Marine at Pendleton named Steve. 47,021, This story has been shared 37,154 times. } [Laughs] Well, hes a big fan of his own flatulence. Was there ever a time when you thought of quitting music? The couple have been together for 25 years. Did you listen to the two albums Priest made with your replacement, Tim Ripper Owens? I was in the band Racer X. You joined Judas Priest in 1974. linktr.ee/robhalfordlegacy. Hes a massive Priest fan, and when the opportunity came for me to go back, he was like: Thumbs up, its great. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. People say: Is he a father figure? Hes more like an older brother. I said: My whole life has been building to this point. You can check out the picture below: A post shared by Metal God (@robhalfordlegacy). We were just relieved. They were good, too. nodes: [ He states, full of tears: ''It's a wonderful moment when you walk out of the closet. Ian says it was Ella Fitzgerald, Ken [KK] said it was Doris Day, says Halford. Can you remember what you spent your first big royalty cheque on? Today's best Judas Priest: Reflections - 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music deals, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, (Image credit: Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images), L-R: Glenn Tipton, K.K. Some of us have done projects outside of Priest, but never with the intention of splitting up the band. Most priests hear confessions. I wasn't able to do that. Judas Priest singer Rob Halford has revealed that he survived a fight with prostate cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Robert Halford is married to Thomas Pence. Rob asked me if I wanted to be part of Fight. For me it was a massive combination of booze and drugs and toxic relationships and having to hide my sexual identity. "@type": "BreadcrumbList", You just think: Were flying the flag for metal, putting it into thirty million households.. 25 Feb/23. Genealogy profile for Thomas O Pence. I was, like: Ker-ching! If only I knew. It never got to the dangerous point. 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. There are so many artists that should be in there but arent just like us. In an interview with Heavy Consequence, the Judas Priest frontman revealed he had a "little cancer battle" during the pandemic, but "told hardly anyone. I'd leave there more exhausted than if I'd been for a gym workout." Not surprisingly, Halford ended up with an ex-Marine named Thomas Pence who he met when he answered Pence's ad looking. Not surprisingly, Halford ended up with an ex-Marine named Thomas Pence who he met when he answered Pences ad looking for companionship. Who is Robert Halford's Partner? The band are currently marking their Golden Jubilee with a series of US dates, and last month saw a headlining appearance at the UKs Bloodstock Festival. And from that second, I change my entire mental attitude towards my disease.". In his book Confess, Halford recalled how he used to hook up with some Marines at Camp Pendleton in the 1990s. Did you think: This is it, were heading for the big time?. Priests debut album, Rocka Rolla, came out in 1974. That was a no-go area for me. That's when I started to suffer.". Im in this porn shop in Santa Monica with [co-star] Mickey Rourke, and he goes: It hasnt changed much in here. I go: What do you mean? He says: I used to work here while I was trying to get work in Hollywood. I said: Have I got a story to tell you.. These days you have to take things one step at a time. If I cant think of anything to play I might as well just go home.. If the quality starts to fall off, theres not much point going on. Thats the sadness of it all. Even when me and Ian were stuck in the back of a broken-down van in Germany, and it was minus-30 Celsius outside. Just make sure it doesnt clash with the band.. Bath Thats how it was with Priest and me. } We got banned from playing there. It took exactly thirty days to make that whole album, from the day we went into the studio to the day it was mastered. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). No, never. 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. 33,799, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved We thought it better to pass. Somebody called me up and said: The judge has exonerated you, its the end of the case, its done and dusted. But no, we didnt celebrate. They thought it was good to keep at least two members of Priest in the same solo project. It never worked, any time! he chuckles wryly. I still havent. There is one in the pipeline at the moment. I guess that one was mine. It's a big thing, you know, because you're born and raised in predominantly a straight world. In the early days theyd let you start the thing up and drive it on. We've received your submission. I think its somewhere in the office. They said theyd been trying to get hold of me for a while via email. He is married to his husband Thomas, who he began dating in 1991. var mapping1 = googletag.sizeMapping() For a gay guy, Pendleton was an Aladdins Cave, Halford wrote in his tell-all Confess. There were just so many amazing male specimens there: young, buff guys at the the height of their physical powers! Its like when youve been drinking beer all your life and somebody goes: Have a shot of Johnnie Walker. Thats what it was like for me, going from booze to having a spliff to cocaine. These things come along and theyre great, it means youre being recognised by your peers. Being a part of the brand frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time, 70 years old handsome possesses a million dollars in his bank balance. But that relationship, like several others detailed in Confess, was doomed and tragic (Brad actually died by suicide in 1986) because Halford had an unfortunate, self-sabotaging pattern of dating men who were actually heterosexual. .addSize([0, 0], [[320, 50]]) I went to my dads place a few times as a younger lad. That Priest were kicking around Birmingham in the late 60s, an entirely different entity to the one that followed. Ive f***ed up! No. pubID: '434bb5e4-3704-4b75-b36c-785a444462bd', Especially in the Transit van. Do you ever look back over Priests career and think: How the hell did that happen?, Oh yes. Right from the start it was very apparent that they wanted a member of the band, they didnt want a hired gun. It hasnt all been a joyride, but the guitarist wouldnt want to have done anything other than travelling the world, doing what I love most playing guitar. Watch Rob Halfords full, extended Yahoo Entertainment interview below, in which he discusses his sobriety, the spiritual epiphany he experienced during a psychic reading shortly after his boyfriends death, meeting his hero Quentin Crisp, the possibility of Confess being turned into a biopic and whether or not hes ever going to be a guest judge on RuPauls Drag Race. There was a point where Priest were one of the biggest metal bands on the planet. You spent a few years acting in your late teens. .addService(googletag.pubads()); Did you ever bring your problems into the office? Robert describes Thomas as ''one of the best things that ever happened to me.'' Ha! I looked in my deleted folder there were a load of emails from them that Id deleted. They tried to push the blame for that on us, and that is a terrible thing to do. Build your family tree online ; Share photos and videos Not surprisingly, Halford ended up with an ex-Marine named Thomas Pencewho he met when he answered Pence's ad looking for companionship. He is married to his husband, Thomas. For us in metal, this was a whole new experience. }); Did you ever see them play with Al Atkins? You must have thought about the day when Judas Priest will no longer be part of your life. But thats when bands become dysfunctional. Ken [KK Downing] had completely quit, but they didnt want that out there. Thus, these apparent things prooves his identity. "item": { It was all Spinal Tap! Ive honestly never seen one. The lovey-dovey couples have been together for 25 years and have dated since 1991. "@type": "WebPage", Just the thought of putting a needle in my arm was taboo. Turbulent. 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. But it did build our inner strength as a band and bought us close together. It was KK Downing who hit on the idea of dressing up in leather. function(bids) { I wanted to be a part of it. In a picture posted on Instagram, Halford can be seen with Pence together. Illustration by Mark Summers for . Anyone who was offended by the lyrics didnt get what the song was about. What does it feel like to rid a motorbike into a steel bar? Halford met Pence via an ad. Grab the Detailed Information About Robert Halford's Love Life In This Article! 'You idiot!' No. .defineSizeMapping(mapping2) Recent pictures of him posing in spiked, diamante-encrusted high-heeled boots appear alongside classic photos of a young Halford wearing a period-piece late-70s tracksuit and leaning against an old 12-speed racer outside his old house in Walsall. 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. What is Rob Halford's vocal range? In a new interview with Classic Rock magazine, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked if he has listened to "Demolition" and "Jugulator", the two albums PRIEST made with singer Tim "Ripper . "position": 2, It was very rewarding. simplerGPT: true, That was about Brad [Halfords former boyfriend, who committed suicide in 1986]. You got sober at the start of 1986. .addSize([748, 200], [[728, 90]]) One of the label people said: Bob Dylans in the next room. And I'm, Ooh, hello, hello, hello! Priest caused a riot at Madison Square Garden in 1984. And then Ken and myself were at Robs mum and dads golden wedding anniversary. As per MD Daily records, Robert's marital status seemed to be married. I dont have an addictive nature, plus the amount of drugs and alcohol I did was small, really. Halford didn't come out publicly as gay until he was 47 years old, and he had been advised by Priest's management, in what he ruefully describes as an "intervention," to keep his sexuality a. Your introduction to Priest fans was the drumming that opens 1990s Painkiller album, on the title track. Before Judas Priest, there was Judas Priest. Who were your rock-star buddies? If you did youd just buckle. Rob Halford is a singer and songwriter from England who has a net worth of $10 million. You were eventually cleared by the judge. 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. But when we left them they were quite sad. 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. And of course thats when Priest became a household name in the UK. 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