Rob Halford

Robert John Arthur Halford (born 25 August 1951) is an English singer and songwriter.

Robert John Arthur Halford was born on 25 August 1951 in Sutton Coldfield.

He grew up in nearby Walsall, where he was raised on the Beechdale housing estate, which was also home to Noddy Holder.

Halford was introduced to Judas Priest bassist and co-founder Ian Hill by his sister Sue, who was dating Hill at the time.

Halford, a manager of a men's clothing store, joined the band as singer, bringing with him drummer John Hinch from his previous band Hiroshima.

He is best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

He has been noted for his powerful and wide ranging operatic vocal style and trademark leather-and-studs image, both of which have become iconic in heavy metal.

He has also been involved with several side projects, including Fight, Two, and Halford.

Halford is often regarded as one of the greatest metal frontmen and singers of all time.

AllMusic said of Halford, "There have been few vocalists in the history of heavy metal whose singing style has been as influential and instantly recognizable... able to effortlessly alternate between a throaty growl and an ear-splitting falsetto."

He continued to front Judas Priest throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Halford and Hinch played their first show with Judas Priest in May 1973 at the Townhouse in Wellington.

In 1974, he made his recording debut on the band's first album Rocka Rolla.

In 1990, Halford emerged with all-new tattoos, including a bent Judas Priest cross on his right arm and ring around his other, as well as a few on his shoulders.

He also began shaving his head.

On the last date of the tour for Painkiller in August 1991 at a show in Toronto, Halford rode onstage on a large Harley-Davidson motorcycle, dressed in motorcycle leathers, as part of the show.

The stage riser malfunctioned and he collided with a half-raised drum riser and fell off it, breaking his nose in the process.

He was left unconscious for a short time while the band was performing the first song.

After regaining consciousness, Halford returned and finished the show.

Halford had been wanting to do a solo project and had the blessing of his band members to do so.

A studio executive told him he would have to technically 'resign' from Judas Priest to do so and he wrote a statement citing his interest in a solo project.

The letter was leaked and taken out of context in that he was quitting the band.

Due to personal challenges with conflict, he was unable to clarify what happened and it was over ten years before he reconnected with the band and rejoined.

Shortly after Halford's departure, he formed the band Fight with Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis, bassist Jack "Jay Jay" Brown and guitarists Brian Tilse and Russ Parrish.

The first album War of Words was released in 1993, followed by the half live, half remixes EP Mutations in 1994.

A tour took place in support of the album in 1994.

The second album A Small Deadly Space was released in 1995, with a tour taking place in support of that album as well.

While War of Words was a straightforward metal record, A Small Deadly Space had a grungier sound, making it less appealing to fans who had developed a taste for War of Words.

As the band were preparing to begin work on the third album, they split up, thus ending their business with their label Epic Records.

A brief reunion with half of the original members took place on 20 December 1997 for a one-off performance before disbanding once again.

In 1997, Halford collaborated with guitarist John Lowery to form an industrial-influenced band called 2wo.

They released their only album Voyeurs in 1998, which was produced by Trent Reznor and released on his Nothing Records label.

In 1999, Halford returned to his metal roots and formed a solo band.

The album Resurrection was released in 2000 to critical acclaim.

The band embarked on a tour with Iron Maiden and Queensrÿche to support the album.

He was ranked at No. 33 on the list of greatest voices in rock by Planet Rock listeners in 2009.

He has also been nicknamed "Metal God" by fans.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Judas Priest in 2022, via the Award for Musical Excellence.

In a 2015 interview, Halford contemplated Fight's reformation.

The show was recorded and part of it released in 2019 on the compilation Downer-Rock Asylum on the Audio Archives label.