Robert John Arthur "Rob"
Halford (born
August 25, 1951 in Birmingham, England), is the lead vocalist for the British heavy metal band
Judas Priest.
Halford is known for his multi-octave operatic range, high-pitched screams and leather-clad image. His stud-leather style has been widely adopted by heavy metal performers and fans around the world.
Because of his enormous influence on rock and metal music,
Halford has been nicknamed the 'Metal
God'.
Before
Judas Priest,
Halford was in the bands Hiroshima,
Abraxas, Thark,
Lord Lucifer, and Athens Wood.
After a 20-year career with
Judas Priest, that saw the band achieve international fame,
Halford left the band in 1992 to pursue a solo career. He first formed the band
Fight and then explored new territories with his industrial-influenced project called Two (often spelled 2wo). He later formed the band
Halford and returned to his metal roots by releasing the widely acclaimed album
Resurrection (2000). In July of 2003,
Halford reunited with
Judas Priest who have since released a new full length album,
Angel of
Retribution. The recent world tour that accompanied the release marked the band's 30th anniversary.
Rob
Halford has also performed as the vocalist for
Black Sabbath at three shows. He filled in for Ronnie James
Dio for two shows on
November 14 and
November 15, 1992, following the end of the Dehumanizer tour, when
Dio refused to participate in the band as an opening act for original vocalist
Ozzy Osbourne. On
August 26, 2004,
Halford filled in for Osbourne for an Ozzfest show in Camden, New Jersey, due to Osbourne being unable to perform because of bronchitis.
In 1998,
Halford revealed his homosexuality in an interview on MTV. His sexuality was known to the rest of the band and came as little surprise to fans. The response from the heavy metal community has been widely accepting.