ROB HALFORD Says He Discovered He Was Gay When He Was 'Nine Or Ten'

July 28, 2004

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford recently spoke to the East Bay Express about the group's upcoming studio album, his homosexuality and his "leather obsession." Several excerpts from the interview follow:

On the upcoming CD:

Rob Halford: "The new album will be very much in the tradition of past PRIEST records, keeping with our heritage. I don't want to reveal too much about it. But there is a 'Lord of the Rings'-like epic song, which I believe will be another JUDAS PRIEST classic. And there's a bit of a J.K. Rowling influence on the record too. It will reflect everything we've done from 'Sad Wings of Destiny' to 'Painkiller', and PRIEST-heads will be satisfied. We're looking at the artwork right now and have a couple of ideas for a title — after the Ozzfest tour, we'll get to mixing the record."

On the JUDAS PRIEST fans' acceptance of his homosexuality:

Rob Halford: "It's a myth that I received any flak from the metal community over my decision to come out. I have, in fact, received numerous positive responses from fans, as well as e-mails from people who were going through much the same thing. It's horrible to keep something like that secret, and I felt I had to make it public. I discovered that I was gay when I was about nine or ten. I did go out with girls for a while, but it didn't last."

On his "leather obsession" while performing live:

Rob Halford: "I like to remain somewhat anonymous. I could never handle the whole Britney Spears syndrome of being noticed everywhere. I enjoy being able to shop at Ralph's without being bothered. So the leather getup is really an onstage uniform. You don't wear a three-piece suit to go play basketball."

Read Rob Halford's entire interview with the East Bay Express at this location.

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