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| Rob Halford | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert John Arthur Halford |
| Born | August 25 1951 Walsall, Birmingham, England |
| Genre(s) | Heavy Metal |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1973 - present |
| Associated acts | Judas Priest, Fight, 2wo, Halford |
| 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 vocal range, high-pitched screams, and for his leather-clad biker image. Halford has been nicknamed the "Metal God"Nalbandian, Bob, Interview with Metal God ROB HALFORD, <http://www.hardradio.com/shockwaves/halford1.html>. Retrieved on 18 July 2007Sill, Don (May 13, 2002), Molten Metal: An Interview With Metal God Rob Halford, <http://knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=836>. Retrieved on 18 July 2007 as a tribute to his influence on metal. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, US. Halford MySpace website
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Halford was born and raised in Walsall,Bernard Perusse. Q&A with Rob Halford. Montreal Gazette. 1 August 2007 a town to the northwest of Birmingham, in England\'s West Midlands. He sang for numerous bands including Athens Wood, Lord Lucifer, Abraxas, Thark and Hiroshima.
Judas Priest, c. 1977. (left to right) Hill, Downing, Halford & Tipton
Judas Priest recorded twelve studio and two concert albums which garnered different degrees of critical and financial success. Overall, the band has sold in excess of 30 million albums globally."Judas Priest CD & DVD release on Sony BMG\'", JudasPriest.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
In 1980, the band released British Steel. The songs were shorter and had more mainstream radio hooks, but retained the heavy metal feel. The 1982 album Screaming for Vengeance\' had a song, "You\'ve Got Another Thing Comin\'," which garnered strong US radio airplay, and the popular follow-up "Defenders of the Faith". Turbo was released in 1986, during the glam metal "hair band" era. In 1988, Ram it Down was released, showcasing re-recorded material that was scrapped from the Turbo years. In 1990, the Painkiller album dropped the 1980s-style synthesisers for almost all of the songs.
During the tour for Painkiller, Halford rode onstage on a large Harley-Davidson motorcycle, dressed in motorcycle leathers, as part of the show. He collided with a drum riser and fell off the motorcycle, breaking his nose.Ling, Dave (December 25, 2003), JUDAS PRIEST: The Making of \'Painkiller\', <http://www.daveling.co.uk/docpriest.htm>. Retrieved on 20 July 2007 After regaining consciousness, Halford returned and performed the whole concert. In the band\'s Behind the Music episode, Halford 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. However, during an interview with Bernard Perusse of The Gazette (August 1, 2007), he is quoted as saying "And it absolutely did not [lead me to leaving the band]. It was just an accident." After a 20-year career with Judas Priest, Halford announced to the band on July 4 1991 that he was leaving the band, and he also sued their label, Sony, for restrictive practices.
He first formed the band Fight with Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis, bassist Jay Jay and guitarists Brian Tilse and Russ Parish recording two albums between 1993 and 1995: "War of Words" (1993) and, after Parish\'s departure and his replacement by Mark Chausee, "A Small Deadly Space" (1995). While the first one was a straightforward tough and solid metal record, the second record had a grungier sound, making it less appealing for fans who had developed a taste for his debut album.
In between both albums, Fight released an EP, "Mutations", featuring "War of Words" studio versions, live cuts and alternate mixes 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.
In 1998, Halford revealed he was homosexual in an interview on MTV. His sexual orientation was known to Judas Priest band members, and somewhat of an open secret among fans and the heavy metal press. The response from the heavy metal community has been widely accepting. 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 an irritated sex store clerk.
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".Hoaksey, Mark: "Interview with Rob Halford", Power Play Issue 35, July 2002 In July 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.
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[citation needed]. 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.
In the October 2006 issue of "Classic Rock" magazine Halford stated the only songs on his iPod are his own work and Queen (of which he has their entire catalog).
He\'ll be voicing the character General Lionwhyte in 2008 video game Brütal Legend.
| Judas Priest | |
|---|---|
| Rob Halford · K. K. Downing · Glenn Tipton · Ian Hill · Scott Travis Dave Holland · Tim "Ripper" Owens · Al Atkins · Les Binks · Alan Moore · John Hinch · Chris Campbell · John Pattridge · John Ellis · Simon Phillips | |
| Studio albums | Rocka Rolla · Sad Wings of Destiny · Sin After Sin · Stained Class · Killing Machine · British Steel · Point of Entry · Screaming for Vengeance · Defenders of the Faith · Turbo · Ram It Down · Painkiller · Jugulator · Demolition · Angel of Retribution · Nostradamus |
| Live albums | Unleashed in the East · Priest...Live! · \'98 Live Meltdown · Live in London |
| Compilations | The Best of Judas Priest · Hero, Hero · The Collection · Genocide · Metal Works \'73-\'93 · The Best of Judas Priest: Living After Midnight · Metalogy · The Essential Judas Priest |
| Videos | Live in London · Electric Eye · Rising in the East · Live Vengeance \'82 |
| Related articles | Discography · Members |
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