ROB HALFORD: 'Metal Fans Are Very Tolerant, Very Compassionate, Very Smart People'

September 14, 2008

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford has told Australia's Perth Now that while he understands that metal has become something of an obvious and ever-ready target for public outrage looking for a scapegoat for society's ills, he takes the form very seriously.

"There are people who don't understand it, but the fact is heavy metal music consistently does good and great things for people," he said. "We have a list a mile long of people who came up and said this song or that record helped them get through a difficult time in their life."

He added: "I think it's fair to say once a metalhead, always a metalhead. A 15-year-old metalhead can stand next to a 60-year-old metalhead and give each other the devil's sign. It really is a unified community."

Regarding the fact that his admission that he was homosexual during a 1998 interview did little to alter his place as one of metal's best-loved singers, Halford said, "It's unusual for anybody in a world-famous metal band to proclaim their sexuality, other than being straight. I was glad I did it, mostly for my own state of mind. You're able to remove all the innuendo and all the snide comments, all the things that people like me have to put up with.

"The fans don't care, they're indifferent. Metal fans are very tolerant, very compassionate people, very smart people and I think they showed their true colors in accepting me for what I am regardless of my sexual orientation."

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