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ROB HALFORD: 'In My Gay World, It's All Fashion'
- Oct. 14, 2009
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David Marchese of SPIN.com recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford. A couple of excepts from the chat follow below. SPIN.com: Have you always been interested in designing clothing? Halford: Everything that you've seen me wear over the years comes from sitting down with the people who make my clothes and putting the designs together. I've always been interested in clothing. I'm not a fashionista, but I enjoy wearing cool clothes so it seemed like a natural thing to do. It's also a good extension for my Metal God production company. We want to be a broad-based platform for all production ideas — whether it be music or DVDs or clothing. SPIN.com: Was it difficult to avoid the cliché of heavy metal style? Stuff like pentagrams and gothic lettering? Halford: We want to provide something that everyone can relate to. Tremendous amounts of forethought went into the launch phase, so the imagery carries a rock and roll spirit — it's edgy, it's exciting to look at, it's vibrant — but the appeal is broad-based. We want to be very mainstream. SPIN.com: So there are no plans to put out Rob Halford-brand leather chaps? Halford: Who knows?! In my gay world, it's all fashion. [ Halford came out in 1998.] It's all, "What are you wearing? Where are you going out tonight?" Blah blah blah. I don't mean that to be stereotypical! Anything's possible though. SPIN.com: Tell me about the holiday album. You've wanted to do this for a while? Halford: Putting this side of me onto an album is something I've wanted to do forever. When the idea first came out, it wasn't like, "Let's do 'Do Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'." No, I'm not going to do that. We been very selective in picking some beautiful, timeless classics and giving them some great heavy arrangements. Read the entire interview from SPIN.com. 
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COMMENT | Let the fudge throwing begin
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:06:29 PM
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No pun intended Rob, you ROCK!
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COMMENT | The Metal God
posted by : RiotAct666
10/14/2009 12:06:35 PM
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Good interview. Make fun of him all you want. But he is a living legend in the metal world.
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COMMENT | LOL
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:08:52 PM
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he's a HEAVY METAL GRINDER..!!!!! LOL, all joking a side...he might be gay but he is in one of the best bands in the world and has one of the best voice's in metal......rock on priest
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COMMENT | .
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:09:00 PM
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Holiday albums are all the rage now apparently. Psychostick's "Fleshingeating Rollerskate Holiday Joyride" pwns them all though.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:11:29 PM
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2nd best metal voice ever, right beyond Dio.
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COMMENT |
posted by : SchecterShredder
10/14/2009 12:13:16 PM
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Rob Halford is a LEGEND in the metal community. His legacy will live generations after he has passed. His sexual preference is none of my business, nor will I judge him for it.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:17:26 PM
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quite ironic that the guy to bring in the ultra masculine approach, at least in clothing, was gay. makes u wonder...
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COMMENT | Y'know what's funny?
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:20:05 PM
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I can read a comment before looking at who posted it and know that it's riotact666. Props to you Riot. Always positive. Never a bad thing to say about anyone
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:38:04 PM
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Halford is great. Not only one of metal's most influential voices, but this guy had the balls to come out and talk about his lifestyle when the scene was still dominated by closed-minded, homophobic assholes.
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COMMENT |
posted by : Aces_High99
10/14/2009 12:38:19 PM
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Rob Halford - a grinder looking for meat since 1951.
All kidding aside...one of the greatest singers of all-time and a very classy, down-to-earh individual. As a huge fan of both Priest and his solo work, I have nothing but respect for him.
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COMMENT | Who is this Riotact666 anyway?
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:39:33 PM
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Why is everyone ALWAYS kissing up to him? Is he some kind of celebrity or something? He never says anything bad about anyone, which is cool. I was just curious that's all. Aslo, maybe I'm just retarded, but what the fuck does NULL mean? Anyone? I'm always seeing that in comment titles.
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COMMENT | by the way krasherr...
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:41:35 PM
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"quite ironic that the guy to bring in the ultra masculine approach, at least in clothing, was gay. makes u wonder..."
Um, what's masculine about leather bondage gear? The great thing about Halford is he was openly dressing like a gay club leatherboy since the late seventies and most cock rock knuckleheads thought it was macho!
Horns up to the metal god!
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:45:58 PM
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I am very anxious to hear classic Christmas songs by Halford. Should be very interesting, to say the least.
Hands down the best vocalist in the history of metal.
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COMMENT | Metal God
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:46:25 PM
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Rob is a legend. Even my homophobic friends still love him.
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COMMENT | Null
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:57:16 PM
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it is from programming, it is when something = nothing, and that nothing is not zero because zero = something and null is nothing.....
make sense?
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COMMENT | tenfoldhate
posted by :
10/14/2009 12:57:17 PM
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Um, what's masculine about leather bondage gear? The great thing about Halford is he was openly dressing like a gay club leatherboy since the late seventies and most cock rock knuckleheads thought it was macho!
couldn't agree more...
that's why bell bottoms will always be cooler
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COMMENT | It never ceases to amaze me...
posted by : CrazyIslander
10/14/2009 1:08:32 PM
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At how often the term "gay" is used to describe a something that someone dislikes around here, yet when it comes to Halford, there's no shortage of nuthuggers.
I find it extremely unlikely that everyone would be as equally tolerant if another famous musician decided to come out of the closet. So, why is it that Halford is held in such high regard?
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 1:16:56 PM
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Why was SPIN allowed more than 2 seconds with The Metal God. Fucking SPIN sucks.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 1:17:43 PM
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"Halford: Everything that you've seen me wear over the years comes from sitting down with the people who make my clothes and putting the designs together."
Even the lovely Turbo ensembles??
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COMMENT |
posted by : Acacia70
10/14/2009 1:18:16 PM
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Once upon a time Rob was a great singer. Those days are long gone and I cringe everytime I hear him sing...I've been cringing since 1983.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 1:23:03 PM
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COMMENT | Halford IS better than Dio.
posted by : MRBILL40
10/14/2009 12:55:03 PM
Halford blows away Dio live in concert.......... I like both dudes too........ Priest and Dio / Sabbath is all good stuff...... But Dio never could hit them highs' in concert like Halford can....... Cheers......
MR.BILL
You are on crack cocaine. I've seen Dio live 9 times and I've seen Priest live 5 times. Dio is sooooooooooo much better than Halford live, especially these days. Dio sounds exactly like he does on his albums while Halford struggles. Granted, Halford has put down some insane shit in the studio but no one could hit all his stuff live, no way.
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COMMENT | CrazyIslander
posted by : Aces_High99
10/14/2009 1:42:56 PM
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Halford was one of the most legendary and universally-respected singers in heavy metal before he came out...for headbangers worldwide to disown a legend like that (even for the "crime" of being gay) would have been unthinkable.
It was simply through the sheer scope of Rob's iconic status, his longevity, and the respect for his work in Judas Priest that metalheads grudgingly accepted his lifestyle.
To answer your question though: of course if a lesser-known and less well-respected metal musician came out, he would most likely be tossed aside like a sack of potatoes.
Homophobia is sadly still rampant.
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COMMENT | HAhA
posted by :
10/14/2009 1:43:56 PM
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you said "blows"
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COMMENT | MRBILL40
posted by : Aces_High99
10/14/2009 1:48:11 PM
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Dio never hit those "highs" live in concert because he NEVER SANG THAT HIGH ON THE ALBUMS.
Rob and Dio have very different singing styles. Dio very rarely used a false voice "Painkiller" vocal style, except when letting off a scream or double tracking his vocals in the studio.
However, if you want to hear what Dio is capable of, listen to his "Mob Rules" scream at the beginning of the Radio City live album from a couple of years ago.
It's a mindblowing scream for a 65-year old, and to be sure, Rob can't hit notes like that anymore, especially live.
I would say that, in his prime, Rob had the larger vocal range and could hit higher notes, but Dio was able to use his voice more skillfully, and of course, gets extra points for still sounding so good at his age, while Rob has been declining for some time.
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COMMENT | COMMENT OF THE YEAR
posted by : HQNC
10/14/2009 1:50:49 PM
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COMMENT | Who is this Riotact666 anyway?
posted by : ilove2fart
10/14/2009 12:39:33 PM
Why is everyone ALWAYS kissing up to him? Is he some kind of celebrity or something? He never says anything bad about anyone, which is cool. I was just curious that's all. Aslo, maybe I'm just retarded, but what the fuck does NULL mean? Anyone? I'm always seeing that in comment titles.
Everything is brilliant here, from the title to the nickname, passing through the "Is Halford is a celebrity?" and ending in "Am I retarded, what does NULL mean? :("
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COMMENT |
posted by : wooten
10/14/2009 1:51:57 PM
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Totally looking forward to the Chirstmas record.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 1:54:14 PM
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COMMENT |
posted by : wooten
10/14/2009 1:51:57 PM
Totally looking forward to the Chirstmas record.
Opening track will be "ChestNUTS roasting on an open fire."
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COMMENT | Phonebook
posted by :
10/14/2009 2:12:01 PM
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you still use "pwns?"
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
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COMMENT | Gay Design Maybe...
posted by :
10/14/2009 2:12:38 PM
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...but straight guys like it too.
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COMMENT | HAIL ROB!
posted by : THRASHMONGER
10/14/2009 2:46:21 PM
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Funny - As gay as he is, he's still less gay than Hatebreed.
Looking forward to the Xmas album, kick ass!
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COMMENT |
posted by : MarcusSeven
10/14/2009 3:10:27 PM
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"Psychostick's "Fleshingeating Rollerskate Holiday Joyride" pwns them all though."
If only "Sandwich" was half as good as the holiday album.
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COMMENT |
posted by : MarcusSeven
10/14/2009 3:10:45 PM
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Oh, and Judas Priest ftw.
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COMMENT | Hmmm......
posted by :
10/14/2009 3:16:23 PM
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Always worth checking out a Halford post to read the funny comments...
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COMMENT | Everyone knew Freddy Mercury was gay
posted by : mastronaut
10/14/2009 3:23:50 PM
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and he's well respected...
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COMMENT | Who cares
posted by :
10/14/2009 3:33:45 PM
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if Halford is gay.. he is a legend and his work speaks for itself.
In fact, I don't care if anyone's gay, not my business...
Halford and Freddie Mercury - two legends, both gay , who cares?
We can throw in Elton John too. .another legend who is gay. .who cares?? They all came to rock and did.. legends never die!!
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COMMENT | Right on Phonebook...
posted by : NoTolerance
10/14/2009 3:41:10 PM
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Couldn't agree more. Got to share the stage with those guys on a short tour and they are fucking amazing! Holiday and non-holiday wise!
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 4:34:39 PM
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Kinda gives new meaning to Delivering The Goods or Invader or better yet, Electric Eye.
No, I love Priest and Halford is a rock god, albeit a gay one, lol
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 4:41:11 PM
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He is the coolest gay guy I know...wait I dont know any other gay people and I dont know him personally, looks like life is good otherwise then!
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COMMENT |
posted by : NoyzRulz
10/14/2009 4:48:54 PM
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Always a treat for me on a website that bashes anyone for almost anything for all of us to pretty much agree that in this day and age we don't care if your gay, Judas Priest are legends. The band is great, even though I disliked Nostradamus. Of course it helps that he is not a feminine type of homosexual, otherwise it most likely would have been a different path he would have been forced to choose.
It's always funny to look back on the 80's when you realized Halford was gay and sort of go... "yeah, should have known that"...
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COMMENT | It Never Bothered me
posted by :
10/14/2009 4:52:38 PM
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That Rob was Gay. It just gave me a different perspective on his Lyrics. Like on "Eat me Alive" or "Turbo Lover"
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COMMENT | I Don't Approve Of The " Gay Lifestyle" But................................
posted by :
10/14/2009 5:59:25 PM
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I respect Rob as one of the best, if not the best vocalist in metal. Judas Priest rules all metal bands, plain and simple!
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 6:49:54 PM
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I love how everyone starts to defend Halford right away, but not a single post has bashed him so far! He is untouchables, nothing bad can be said about the man! He is heavy Metal, and him coming out made the whole metal community far less homophobic, which is awesome. As Sabastian Bach puts it "Rob Halford is the most metal you can get. If you can't accept Halford, you don't accept metal!"
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COMMENT |
posted by : Biki
10/14/2009 7:01:36 PM
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There's nothing to bash, he's awesome. If you're gonna bash him cause he's gay you might as well bash all your other favorite bands for being straight, it makes about as much sense.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/14/2009 11:24:05 PM
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NULL is what happens in a cd review when you dont put in a comment title, no one actually writes it as their title.
and riotact is famous for never ever ever saying anything except "first day buyer X is awesome" which is remarkable considering most people on blabbermouth can only hate, hate, hate
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COMMENT | Rob Halford
posted by : -Up The Irons-
10/15/2009 12:01:00 AM
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LEGEND. His clothing line is interesting, but i wonder if he designs anything for girls.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/15/2009 2:29:25 AM
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Jeans, t-shirt and a black simple leather jacket. That´s the outfit I want to see Halford wear. Think Ramones. They got the real metal outfit.
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COMMENT | Halford=
posted by :
10/15/2009 8:29:22 AM
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the fucking greatest!
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COMMENT |
posted by :
10/15/2009 1:59:36 PM
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COMMENT | I Don't Approve Of The " Gay Lifestyle" But................................
posted by : rac1965
10/14/2009 5:59:25 PM
I respect Rob as one of the best, if not the best vocalist in metal. Judas Priest rules all metal bands, plain and simple!
You should be shot dead. Who needs your approval? Go jerk off to your poster of Hitler, you fucking dolt.
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COMMENT | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
posted by : ninuzzu
10/15/2009 3:40:17 PM
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hahahahahaha! Perfect! Who the fuck do people think they are when they say they don't "approve"? Stick your "approval" up your ass.
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COMMENT | Also
posted by : ninuzzu
10/15/2009 3:46:33 PM
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Love Halford and everything he's done. I saw Priest for the first time in '84, and I kind of always figured he was gay, even back then. Was no surprise when he came out, at least to me. And as most everyone here has basically said: "Who gives a fuck!"
The comment about "bashing straight bands makes as much sense", sums it up I think. There really is no issue at all. Metal is metal, and Halford is truly its God.
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