Report: JUDAS PRIEST's Legendary Vocalist Vows To Go Over The Top In Dallas
August 22, 2008, 16 years ago
DallasNews.com has issued the following report from Mike Daniel:
ROB HALFORD believes he's the only man capable of fronting JUDAS PRIEST.
His reasons might surprise you, though.
Mr. Halford, 56, left one of the most important and influential heavy-metal bands in history in 1991, only to return 12 years later as other projects failed to ignite, incite and resonate as Priest does.
His replacement, Tim Owens, the inspiration behind the Mark Walhberg movie Rock Star in 2001, had the same issues.
"To be brutally honest, Jugulator and Demolition," the two Priest albums made with Mr. Owens as frontman, "were affected by my not being in the band, much like when BRUCE DICKINSON went away from IRON MAIDEN, the way VAN HALEN [was] affected when DAVID LEE ROTH left," Mr. Halford said by phone from Detroit on a stop during the Metal Masters Tour, which hits Dallas tonight."But I don't think a straight man can do my job in Judas Priest. I've never said that before. I'm sorry, but they can't."
Mr. Halford's disclosure of his homosexuality a decade ago verified what many already suspected. And in the end, it didn't matter a whit. Judas Priest's fan base is as strong as ever, Mr. Halford's penchant for showmanship (this is the man who popularized studded leather as a fashion statement) is as enthusiastic as ever, and the band's consistent willingness to push the boundaries of heavy metal for 38 years is still intact.
Read the full story at DallasNews.com.
