Rob Halford Says "If I Lost My Voice, It Would Be Pointless"

George Varga of SignOnSanDiego.com spoke with The Metal God Rob Halford. Sections from the interview follow below.

On his Hillcrest, California apartment near Balboa Park, where he goes virtually unnoticed:

"If I couldn't do that, I think I'd move somewhere else. I don't want to be a recluse, but I need to be able to do what I want to do without being 'paparazzi-ed' to death. I need to be able to go to Ralphs and push my shopping cart up and down the aisles. I've never been attracted to the rock star persona. It's great if people want to think about the fantasy of what a rock star's life is like, but I don't want that. . . Maybe it's my working-class roots. But it's important I'm able to do my Ralphs and Ichibans (restaurant visits)."

Talking about performing the "British Steel" album in its entirety at each concert on the current tour:

"All I remember about making 'British Steel' is that we had a contractual commitment to the record company to deliver the album on time. We'd just come out of a mixing session (in the studio) at John Lennon's former residence (at Tittenhurst Park), where Ringo (Starr) was living. We asked if we could write and record the album there, and Ringo said: 'Go ahead, do it.'

"The bulk of 'British Steel' was written in that house. We didn't have time to think. We were literally writing all day and night, and putting those ideas together as quickly as possible. ... Dare I say, it was the album that brought the band to a national level in America."

On the band feeling reconnected after nearly a month of performing "British Steel" live at shows:

"I was finding my way around it. Now, I'm immersed in it and it's an amazing feeling. When you listen to the opening line of the first track, 'Rapid Fire' — 'Pounding the world like a battering ram' — that just resonates in 2009. The power of the music and the message in the lyrics absolutely still connects."

On thriving as the only openly gay member of a major metal band:

"I thought that whole Proposition 8 (anti-gay-marriage) thing was a crock. Because we were hijacked by the religious fanatics, again. Why is marriage, by definition, a religious experience? I don't think it is. It's a contract between two people who love each other and want to show the world how they feel about each other."

Discussing the future:

"If I lost my voice, it would be pointless. Fortunately, my voice is still doing the business, so I don't even think of retirement. Once you do, you start to decompress, and you can't do that in rock 'n' roll. You have to keep the fires burning.

"I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs. All I've got is my metal and I'm happy with it."

Matty35 wrote:

Discussing the future:

"If I lost my voice, it would be pointless. Fortunately, my voice is still doing the business, so I don't even think of retirement. Once you do, you start to decompress, and you can't do that in rock 'n' roll. You have to keep the fires burning.

"I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs. All I've got is my metal and I'm happy with it."

and I am happy with it too. I like Nostrodameus and thought Halford was in top form. It seems he is getting stronger vocally with age!

Alex

His vocal performance on "Painkiller" is legendary!

One of the best "Metal" vocalist's ever,... but you knew that already!

Matty35 wrote:

His vocal performance on "Painkiller" is legendary!

One of the best "Metal" vocalist's ever,... but you knew that already!

i do love the way his voice starts off Judas Rising too. Its chilling knowing he is back in the band!!

exact33 wrote:

Matty35 wrote:

His vocal performance on "Painkiller" is legendary!

One of the best "Metal" vocalist's ever,... but you knew that already!

i do love the way his voice starts off Judas Rising too. Its chilling knowing he is back in the band!!

Agreed, hard to believe these boys are nearly 60, Tipton already is!

Matty35 wrote:

exact33 wrote:

Matty35 wrote:

His vocal performance on "Painkiller" is legendary!

One of the best "Metal" vocalist's ever,... but you knew that already!

i do love the way his voice starts off Judas Rising too. Its chilling knowing he is back in the band!!

Agreed, hard to believe these boys are nearly 60, Tipton already is!

Its amazing how old almost all the metal stalwarts are - Dio, Kiss, Priest, Maiden. They just keep on rolling though!!!

Alex

exact33 wrote:

Matty35 wrote:

exact33 wrote:

Matty35 wrote:

His vocal performance on "Painkiller" is legendary!

One of the best "Metal" vocalist's ever,... but you knew that already!

i do love the way his voice starts off Judas Rising too. Its chilling knowing he is back in the band!!

Agreed, hard to believe these boys are nearly 60, Tipton already is!

Its amazing how old almost all the metal stalwarts are - Dio, Kiss, Priest, Maiden. They just keep on rolling though!!!

Alex

Very true Alex! - Its amazing how Ronnie Dio is the one who has kept his street cred, & now laughing at Oz. 15 years ago Ozzy could do no wrong & it was Dio who was playing catch up.

Dio is "Metal" while Ozzy is more... "Soft Plastic"