Rob Halford
Background information
Birth name	Robert John Arthur Halford
Also known as	Rob Halford
Born	August 25, 1951 (1951-08-25) (age 55)
Origin	Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England
Genre(s)	Heavy Metal
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1973 - present
Website	Official website

Robert John Arthur Halford (born August 25, 1951) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for the heavy metal band Judas Priest. Halford is known for his multi-octave range, high-pitched screams, leather-clad image and showing up on stage on a motorcycle (usually a Harley-Davidson). His stud-leather style has been widely adopted by heavy metal performers and fans around the world. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 383 KB) Singer Rob Halford of Judas Priest on stage, Birmingham NEC, England, March 19th 2005. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Hill north of Sutton town centre. ... See also Birmingham, USA, and other places called Birmingham. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Heavy metal (sometimes referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... A singer is a musician who uses his or her voice to produce music. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Present may mean: present (time): time that is neither past nor future a gift: thing given free of charge, gratis This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1968 in Birmingham. ... A variety of parked motorcycles A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ... Logo on a 2003 Harley Davidson The Harley-Davidson Motor Company (NYSE: HDI) is a manufacturer of motorcycles based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...

Because of his enormous influence on rock and metal music, Halford has been nicknamed the 'Metal God'.^{[attribution needed]} For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Heavy metal (sometimes referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...

Life and career

Halford was born in Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire, England. He sang for numerous bands including Athens Wood, Lord Lucifer, Abraxas, Thark and Hiroshima. In May 1973, he joined Judas Priest after being suggested to them by his sister Sue, who was dating bass player Ian Hill [1]. Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Hill north of Sutton town centre. ... Warwickshire (pronounced either /ˈwɔːɹɪkˌʃə/ or /ˈwɔːɹɪkˌʃɪə/) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Ian Hill of Judas Priest Ian Frank Hill (born January 20, 1951) is a founding member and bass player for Birmingham heavy metal band Judas Priest. ...

Between 1974 and 1990, Rob Halford recorded 14 albums with Judas Priest, along the way becoming the archetypal heavy metal singer. Around 1977 he began to cultivate his now famous leather-clad and sunglasses-wearing persona and began riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on stage during live performances. The stunt caused a memorable accident during the '91 Toronto date of the Painkiller tour when he hit a half-engaged drum-riser occluded by clouds of dry ice. He broke his nose and fell off the motorcycle, tumbling off-stage. After regaining consciousness, Halford returned and performed the whole concert. In the band's Behind the Music episode, Rob named the accident as one of the events that caused the rift between him and the rest of the band that would eventually force them apart. While Halford is certainly the best known figure in rock for the leather outfits and on-stage motorbike, this aspect of his act had actually been pioneered some years earlier by Eric Bloom of Blue Öyster Cult . ^[1] Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Anniversary badge on a 2003 Harley-Davidson The Harley-Davidson, Inc. ... A variety of parked motorcycles A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ... Painkiller is a 1990 gold-certifed album of British heavy metal band Judas Priest. ... Dry ice is a genericized trademark for solid (frozen) carbon dioxide. ... For the album by The Soundtrack of Our Lives, see Behind the Music (album). ... Eric Bloom, 2006 Eric Bloom (born December 1, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist. ... Blue Öyster Cult is an American rock band formed in 1967 and still active in 2007. ...

After a 20-year career with Judas Priest that saw the band achieve international fame, Halford announced to the band on July 4th 1991 that he was leaving the band. He first formed the band Fight with Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis, recording two albums between 1993 and 1995. Immediately before this, he had recorded a track called "Light Comes Out of Black" for the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The song featured music provided by Pantera, although their contribution is uncredited. After Fight, he collaborated with guitarist John Lowery in an industrial-influenced project called 2wo which was produced by Trent Reznor and released on his Nothing Records label. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Fight was a band assembled by Judas Priest frontman, Rob Halford, after his departure in 1992. ... Scott Travis (born September 6, 1961, Norfolk, Virginia, USA) is the drummer for legendary British heavy metal band Judas Priest. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a 1992 comedy film about a Valley Girl cheerleader (Kristy Swanson) chosen by fate to fight and kill vampires. ... Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, that formed in 1981. ... John Lowery (born July 31, 1971 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan), better known under his stage name John 5, is a United States musician and a former member of Marilyn Manson. ... 2wo was an industrial metal band formed by former Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford after the break-up of his first solo project, the street-metal experience known as Fight. ... Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) and John Malm, Jr. ...

In 1998, Halford revealed he was homosexual in an interview on MTV. His sexual orientation had always been known to the rest of Judas Priest and came as little surprise to fans as his sexual orientation was somewhat of an open secret among fans and among the Heavy Metal press. The response from the heavy metal community has been widely accepting. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ...

Halford returned to his metal roots in 2000 with his band Halford and the widely acclaimed album Resurrection (2000), produced by Roy Z. A live album in 2001 was followed up by 2002's Crucible. That same year, Halford had a small role in the film Spun in which he played a gay sex store clerk. Halford was formed in 1999 by then ex-lead Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford and is an attempt to return back to his old heavy metal roots after ending two previous projects: the street metal experience known as Fight, and the Industrial Metal experiment known as 2wo. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Roy Z, 1999 Roy Z is a guitarist, composer and producer known for his work with Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Rob Halford and Judas Priest. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... For the Florida rock band, see SPÃœN. Spun is a 2002 independent movie directed by Jonas Ã…kerlund and written by Creighton Vero and Will de los Santos. ... A sex shop is a shop that sells products such as sex toys, pornography, erotic lingerie, erotic books, and safer sex products such as condoms and dental dams. ...

A reunion with Judas Priest had been speculated on for some time, at least since the release of the Resurrection album which some critics claimed sounded more like Judas Priest than that band's previous album Jugulator (1997). Halford himself had never ruled it out, claiming in 2002 that "Gut instinct tells me that at some point it will happen".^[2] In July of 2003, the singer returned to his former band and they released Angel of Retribution in 2005. The world tour that accompanied the release marked the band's 30th anniversary. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rob Halford has also performed as the vocalist for Black Sabbath at three shows. He replaced Ronnie James Dio for two nights in November 1992, when Dio elected not to open a show for Ozzy Osbourne. Dio's contract had actually expired with the conclusion of the Dehumanizer tour and he saw no reason why he should do these two shows, given the things Ozzy had said about him over the years. Halford stepped in, having first spoken to Dio, with whom he has a good relationship. He also replaced Osbourne in Black Sabbath on August 25, 2004, his 53rd birthday at an Ozzfest show in Camden, New Jersey, since Ozzy could not perform due to bronchitis. For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942 (most likely year, see below), in Portsmouth, New Hampshire), is a heavy metal vocalist who has performed with Black Sabbath, Rainbow, and his own band Dio. ... Ozzy Osbourne (born John Michael Osbourne, December 3, 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is the lead vocalist of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist, and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. ... Dehumanizer is an album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath released in 1992. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The City of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey in the United States. ... Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs. ...

Trivia

• In the October 2006 issue of "Classic Rock" magazine he stated the only songs on his iPod are his own work and Queen (of which he has their entire catalog).
• Among his many tattoos is the Marvel Comics Punisher skull.

iPod (fifth generation) in Apple Universal Dock, iPod nano (second generation) and iPod shuffle (second generation) iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple and launched in 2001. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining the following year. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... The Punisher is a fictional vigilante and anti-hero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ...

Discography

Judas Priest

• Rocka Rolla (1974)
• Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
• Sin After Sin (1977)
• Stained Class (1978)
• Killing Machine (1978) (released as Hell Bent for Leather in the USA 1979)
• Unleashed in the East Live (1979)
• British Steel (1980)
• Point of Entry (1981)
• Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
• Defenders of the Faith (1984)
• Turbo (1986)
• Priest...Live! (1987)
• Ram It Down (1988)
• Painkiller (1990)
• Metalogy Box-set (2004)
• Angel of Retribution (2005)
• Rising In the East DVD (2005)
• Live Vengeance '82 DVD re-release (2006)
• The Essential Judas Priest Compilation (2006)
• Nostradamus (Concept Album) (2007)

Rocka Rolla is the debut album by the British heavy metal group Judas Priest, released in 1974. ... // January - The Ramones form. ... Sad Wings of Destiny is the second album by the British heavy metal group Judas Priest, released in 1976. ... See also: 1970s in music. ... Sin After Sin is the third album by the British heavy metal group Judas Priest, released in 1977. ... See also: 1976 in music, other events of 1977, 1978 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Queens Bohemian Rhapsody is named The Best Single Of The Last 25 Years by BPI. In this year, the St. ... Considered by most fans to be one of the high points of Judas Priests catalogue, Stained Class showcased a more streamlined songwriting style, while not compromising on the bands trademark heavy metal riffs. ... See also: 1970s in music. ... Killing Machine (US title: Hell Bent For Leather) is the fifth studio album by Judas Priest. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Unleashed in the East is Judas Priests live album that was recorded live in Tokyo, Japan during the Hell Bent for Leather tour in 1978. ... See also: 1978 in music, other events of 1979, 1980 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Stevie Wonder uses Compact Disc technology in recording his album Journey through the Secret Life of Plants. ... British Steel is a heavy metal album by Judas Priest, released on April 14 1980 (see 1980 in music). ... See also: Musical groups established in 1980 Record labels established in 1980 list of years in music 1980s in music. ... Point of Entry is a heavy metal album from the band Judas Priest. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1981 Record labels established in 1981 other events of 1981 list of years in music 1980s in music // January 10 - Revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadways Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith February... Screaming for Vengeance is the 8th studio album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest. ... See also: 1982 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1982 Record labels established in 1982 other events of 1982 list of years in music 1980s in music // January 15 - K.C. and the Sunshine Bands Harry Wayne Casey is seriously injured in an automobile accident in Miami, Florida. ... Defenders of the Faith is a 1984 platinum album of British heavy metal band Judas Priest. ... See also: 1980s in music. ... Turbo is the 11th album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1986 Record labels established in 1986 1980s in music // January 23 - The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley) February 11 - Culture Club... Priest. ... See also: 1986 in music, other events of 1987, 1988 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // January 3 - Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... Ram It Down was an album recorded and released by Judas Priest in 1988. ... See also: other events of 1988 Musical groups established in 1988 Record labels established in 1988 list of years in music 1980s in music // Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra. ... Painkiller is a 1990 gold-certifed album of British heavy metal band Judas Priest. ... See also: 1989 in music, 1990 in British music, other events of 1990, 1991 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // January 21 - MTVs Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze February 6 - Billy Idol is involved in a serious motorcycle accident... Metalogy, a 2004 Judas Priest boxed set. ... See also: 2004 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels established in 2004 2000s in music. ... Angel of Retribution is an album by Judas Priest, released in 2005. ... See also: 2005 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2005 Record labels established in 2005 2000s in music. ... Rising in the East Is a live DVD released in 2005/06 of Judas Priest performing a concert in Tokyos Budokan filmed in 2005. ... See also: 2005 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2005 Record labels established in 2005 2000s in music. ... Live Vengeance 82 is a live DVD of a Judas Priest concert, it was released in 2006. ... See also: 2006 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2006 Record labels established in 2006 // January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ... Track Listing Disc 1 Judas Rising Breaking The Law Hell Bent For Leather Diamonds And Rust Victim of Changes Love Bites Heading Out To The Highway Ram It Down Beyond The Realms Of Death Youve Got Another Thing Comin Jawbreaker A Touch Of Evil Delivering The Goods United Turbo... See also: 2006 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2006 Record labels established in 2006 // January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ...

Fight

• War of Words (1993)
• Mutations EP (1994)
• A Small Deadly Space (1995)

War of Words was the first album from the heavy metal band Fight. ... Album released by metal band Fight (band) in 1994. ... This article lacks information on the importance of the subject matter. ...

2wo

• Voyeurs (1997)

The first and only album from the band Two. ...

Halford

• Resurrection (2000)
• Live Insurrection (2001)
• Crucible (2002)
• Fourging The Furnace EP (Japan only release) (2003)
• Halford IV (working title (2007))

Resurrection is an album by the band Halford released in 2000. ... Live Insurrection is a live album by the band Halford, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... Crucible is an album by the band Halford released in 2002 (see 2002 in music). ...

Guest appearances

• Krokus – Headhunter vocals on "Ready to Burn" (1983)
• Surgical Steel - "Surgical Steel"-Demo, vocals on "Smooth And Fast" (1984)
• Hear 'n Aid (1986)
• Ugly Kid Joe – America's Least Wanted vocals on "Goddamn Devil" (1992)
• Skid Row – B-Side Ourselves vocals on "Delivering the Goods" in a live version (1992)
• the same outfit also performed for a "Live In Studio" session on the MTV show "Headbanger's Ballroom" (1992)
• on two occasions on November, 14th and 15th, Rob Halford took over vocals during the set of Black Sabbath who played a double performance at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, CA (1992)
• Bullring Brummies, a studio session line-up that came together to contribute to the Nativity In Black tribute compilation album of Black Sabbath cover songs (1994)
• whilst playing their concert in Miami,FL, Metallica asked Rob Halford on stage to perform a version of "Rapid Fire", originally recorded by Judas Priest on "British Steel" in 1980 (1994)
• Queens of the Stone Age – Rated R vocals on "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" (2000)
• Furious IV– Is That You (2002)

Krokus is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Switzerland. ... Headhunter is the heavy metal band Krokus seventh album, and was released in 1983. ... Logo of the Hear n Aid project Hear n Aid was a joint effort from the heavy metal scene of the 80s to raise money for famine relief in Africa. ... Ugly Kid Joe was a heavy metal band from Isla Vista, California. ... Americas Least Wanted is the debut album by Ugly Kid Joe, released in June 1992 (see 1992 in music). ... Skid Row is an American heavy metal band which became the hair metal prototypes of the late 1980s metal scene and were reasonably successful until they were eclipsed by the Seattle grunge bands in 1991. ... B-Side Ourselves is a cover album released by the American rock group Skid Row. ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... The band Bullring Brummies is made up of Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Sabbath drummer Bill Ward, Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford, Obsessed guitarist Scott Wino Weinrich, Fight guitarist Brian Tilse and Jimmy Wood on Harmonica. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1968 in Birmingham. ... British Steel is a large British steel producer, privatised in 1988 under the Thatcher government. ... Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA or simply Queens) are a hard rock band[2][1] from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. ... Rated R is a 2000 album by Queens of the Stone Age, containing a brief guest vocal by Rob Halford and the first appearence of former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan on a Queens of the Stone Age record. ...

References

1. ^ Sleazegrinder: "Reaping the Benefits", Classic Rock, Issue 96
2. ^ Hoaksey, Mark: "Interview with Rob Halford", Power Play Issue 35, July 2002

External links

• Rob Halford Official Website
• Judas Priest Official Website