Rob Halford

Rob Halford was born as Robert John Arthur Halford on August 25, 1951 in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England and raised in Walsall, England. After spending 20 years as lead vocalist for British heavy metal institution Judas Priest, Halford is best known for his multi-octave operatic range, high-pitched screams and leather-clad image. Because of his enormous influence on rock and metal music, he has been nicknamed the 'Metal God'.

In his 20 years as Priest's frontman, from 1971 until 1992, Rob Halford helped define heavy metal music and ultimately introduced the stud-leather image that performers and fans around the world quickly adopted. After a stellar career with Priest, that saw the band achieve international fame, Halford left the band in 1992 to pursue a solo career, first forming the band Fight and then exploring new territories with his industrial-influenced project called Two (often spelled 2wo). In 1998, Halford shocked the music community by publicly announcing on MTV that he was homosexual, though this was well-known to his bandmates, and a poorly kept secret among the fans, especially given that Halford got his trademark image from gay leather culture. He later formed the band Halford and returned to his metal roots by releasing the widely acclaimed album Resurrection (2000). To his (and Judas Priest's) fans' delight, rumours of a reunion with his old bandmates came true in July 2003.

Rob Halford

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