Rob Halford, the lead singer of Judas Priest, has revealed he married his long term partner last year.
Halford and his now-husband Thomas had been together for more than three decades when they tied the knot. Halford revealed the news of the podcast Queer the Music hosted by Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears.
He shared that he’d given up asking Thomas for his hand in marriage, saying his husband’s conservative background made him hesitant to walk down the aisle. The one night when they were out on one of their regular walks Thomas suggested that maybe it was time they did they deed.
Halford detailed that they’d had a simple ceremony around their pool with just the celebrant and a few friends as witnesses.
Halford came out as gay in 1998, a bold move from a heavy metal singer at the time.
He was the lead singer of Judas Priest from the mid 1970’s through to 1991. He then left to form thrash mental band Fight. In 1998 he launched another project 2wo. Halford later launched another band, the self-titled Halford. In 2003 he rejoined Judas Priest.
Asked if he thoughts attitudes towards homosexuality were changing since he came out almost thirty years ago, Halford said it depends where you are. The singer spends his time living in both the United Kingdom and the USA.
“America is still incredibly homophobic,” he said. “I’ve lived here for a long time and I’ve seen a lot happen since the ’80s, and it really gets me angry and upset.”
The singer said he often encounters male fans of Judas Priest who tell him they love the band, but quickly add on that they themselves are not gay.
“That still lives with me now to some extent,” he said. “But when I walk out onstage when Priest is doing headline tours, and I know that everybody has come there to see this band and hear the songs that we’ve made and watch us perform, surely they’re there with complete acceptance in their heart. Everybody in that room is like, ‘We don’t care.’”
Watch the whole interview.
At 74 Halford is still regularly touring with his band. Last year the band put out Invincible Shield their nineteenth studio album.
