On 25 August 1951 Robert Halford was born. We all know that the legendary metal god would rise to the top of the band. Judas Priestbut here are 20 things you may not know about him:
1. Rob was influenced by people like Little RichardAretha Franklin and Robert Plant.
2. Before joining Priest, Rob was a singer in bands called Athenian wood, Abraxas, Thark And Hiroshima.
3. One of Rob’s jobs before joining Priest was as a movie theater manager.
4. Instruments Rob can play include guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboard and drums.
5. Halford finally met with the co-founder of Priest Ian Hill because he was dating Rob’s sister.
6. In 1978, Priest released their fifth album, Killing machinewhich is referred to here asOn the hunt for leather. After the release, Rob changed his style from gothic robes to leather and studs.
7. After the release of the 1990s PainkillersRob shaved his head because he found it was becoming too much of a hassle to control his receding hairline.
8. During a 1991 show in Toronto, Rob rode a Harley-Davidson onto the stage and crashed into a drum stand, falling off the bike and breaking his nose. After regaining consciousness, he finished the show.
9. During his time away from Priest between 1991 and 2003, Rob formed the bands Battle And Halfordand the Trent Reznor-produced industrially influenced project 2wo.
10. In 1986, after a long period of drug and alcohol abuse, Rob overdosed on painkillers. He has been clean and sober ever since.
11. In 1998, Rob announced that he was gay. He said that hiding his sexuality caused him a lot of depression and that after coming out, he “set himself free.”
12. Halford stepped in for Black Sabbath Singer a few times. Twice in 1992, when the then Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio didn’t want to open a show for Ozzy Osbourne and once in 2004 when Ozzy had bronchitis.
13. Rob plays a sex shop employee in the 2002 film Spunin which the main role is played Mickey Rourke.
14. Halford appeared as a priest in a Virgin Mobile commercial. His line in the ad was “Let us pray.”
15. Rob voiced himself in an episode of The Simpsons. He then sang a version of “Breaking the Law”.
16. Rob didn’t get his driver’s license until he was 38 years old.
17. Rob owns several vintage cars, including an Aston Martin and a Corvette.
18. Rob hopes to make a death metal album one day.
19. Halford lives in Phoenix but owns homes in San Diego, Amsterdam and England.
20. Besides his singing career, Rob also has a record label and a clothing line.
Happy birthday, Rob! Don’t break the law tonight!
