ROB HALFORD Believes JUDAS PRIEST 'Deserves' To Be Inducted Into ROCK HALL

David "Gus" Griesinger of BackstageAxxess.com recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

BackstageAxxess.com: When do you think the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will recognize your band, JUDAS PRIEST, and your contemporaries in the heavy metal music genre?

Rob: Well, you have no control over that. You just keep doing what your doing and eventually you will get your moment. It's called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and it should be acknowledging some of these great people in rock and roll at all the different levels. METALLICA, AC/DC, hopefully KISS (Editor's note: KISS did not get inducted for the class of 2010 that was announced on December 15),SABBATH. There are a handful of people being recognized. I don't know. If it happens to PRIEST, it will be fantastic! I certainly think we deserve it! It's out of our hands, like the fifth Grammy nomination we received, but haven't won one yet. The fact that they thought about and considered us is a tremendous moment in itself! If PRIEST gets into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it will be a wonderful day!

BackstageAxxess.com: You have your own clothing line called Metal God Apparel. How did the idea of starting your own clothing line come about?

Rob: It's just an extension of what I do onstage, ya know? I like to keep the interest focused on the stage and the performers. One of the ways to do it, or a way I like to try to do it, is to keep the costume changes going. I created Metal God Entertainment a couple of years ago, which is a broad based platform level of Metal God Records. We do things slowly and methodically to let people know we are a solid company that has good products. The clothing idea was already in the mix and we are just in the first phase of releasing the t-shirts, that are doing really well, so we will see where we will go next!

BackstageAxxess.com: I was going to ask you what your take is on the new generation of video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Obviously, you attached some of your songs to these games but what is your overall take on them?

Rob: It's just another form of entertainment, isn't it? I just heard from the AP that the recession is heading into the gaming industry. I think it's wonderfully lectured, its exciting, fantasy, and escapism. Your not only getting music with the games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band but simulating the moment with a special kind of guitar or drum set or what have you. You're also an active participant for the next great guitar player or drummer in the future. It's a great learning tool, especially for kids. It teaches kids discipline. It teaches them to be good at something. In order for them to do this you have to practice, practice, practice. Some of these games have a productive use. So anything like that is particularly important. Especially getting your music across to a generation who normally wouldn't have heard of you before...until that moment.

Read the entire interview at BackstageAxxess.com.