In a new interview with Esquire, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford discusses his new Confess autobiography, his closeted life as a rock god, and becoming an LGBTQ role model. An excerpt follows:

Esquire: Your book places that alternate reality front and center, and also makes it clear that queer people have been around forever—and in fact, have made some of the most important contributions to the whole genre.

Rob Halford: "There's always been queer and trans bands in all kinds of music. We've always been here, haven’t we? But for the most part, we had to hide. Some of us still do today, but there have been a lot of us who have broken through the closet and live our lives openly. This is a book for all of my fans and for anyone that is from my sexuality. I would like to feel that there is going to be identifying episodes and chapters where some of my fans will say, ‘Yeah, that's me, that’s happened to me, I know how that feels because I felt the same way.'"

Esquire: Right, letting people know that they’re not alone.

Halford: "Yes, exactly. Don't get me started on that because I’ll go all Oprah; we’re born alone and we die alone and life goes in between the start points. Today is Suicide Prevention Day, and we've lost a lot of people because they couldn’t take life anymore, and a portion of them have been lost through the issue of sexuality, or the rejection that they received because of their sexuality. I would like to feel that [my message] has some kind of value to the reader. You're not alone."

Esquire: Those themes—that we’re in this together, we’re one big metal family—have been so integral to so much of your work that it makes sense that they’re also present here. It’s all very “us against the world.”

Halford: "I daresay that's been a bonus for me as a metalhead and as a musician trying to break through, and going through the struggle and the rejection from the very beginnings of heavy metal music. Even today, heavy metal is like the black sheep of the family. That's probably part of my makeup; my metal world is obviously woven its way into a lot of aspects of my life. This book’s about surviving as well, about never giving in and never giving up, and that should be very, very pertinent to some areas of metal."

Esquire: You've been there since the very beginning and have witnessed the scene becoming more inclusive and diverse. What do you think are the biggest problems that the metal community still needs to address?

Halford: "There's still some levels of intolerance and bigotry and prejudice. That's just the human foible that we have; I don't know what makes us that way. And I still see it all the time. I get bullied occasionally on my social media. But how you choose to deal with that, or how you choose to ignore it is entirely up to you. For the most part, I always ignore negative energy. I prefer big dick energy."

Read the complete interview at Esquire.com.

Halford's warts and all autobiography, Confess, is available now via Hachette Books. A description follows...

Most priests take confessions. This one is giving his.

Rob Halford, front man of global iconic metal band Judas Priest, is a true 'Metal God'. Raised in Britain's hard-working heavy industrial heartland he and his music were forged in the Black Country. Confess, his full autobiography, is an unforgettable rock 'n' roll story - a journey from a Walsall council estate to musical fame via alcoholism, addiction, police cells, ill-starred sexual trysts and bleak personal tragedy, through to rehab, coming out, redemption... and finding love.

Now, he is telling his gospel truth.

Told with Halford's trademark self-deprecating, deadpan Black Country humour, Confess is the story of an extraordinary five decades in the music industry. It is also the tale of unlikely encounters with everybody from Superman to Andy Warhol, Madonna, Jack Nicholson and the Queen. More than anything else, it's a celebration of the fire and power of heavy metal.

Rob Halford has decided to Confess. Because it's good for the soul.

Rough Trade present an Interactive Livestream Q&A with Rob Halford, on Monday, October 5 (7 PM UK, 2 PM US EST, 11 AM US West Coast).

Halford joins Ian Gittins and fans for an intimate in-conversation. This event celebrates the publication of Halford's new autobiography Confess. Rob will be discussing his autobiography and taking questions directly from fans and audience members on this Interactive Livestream powered by Zoom.

Tickets for this event also include a signed physical copy of the book Confess, delivered to your home address by Rough Trade. You will receive a link for the Livestream on the day of the event and when the show’s about to start, the link will be accessible on your ticket in-app.

Further details here.