Why Judas Priest's Rob Halford felt the time was right to 'Confess' in his new memoir

As word gets around that Rob Halford has written a memoir, one question he's been asked on numerous occasions is "Why now?"

For one, he says, "It's kind of like the thing we do in rock 'n' roll, to have a reflective look over our lives and put it down in print. You're able to kind of clear up any kind of urban myths and innuendo, supposition and rumor when it comes directly from you."

The Judas Priest singer is speaking by phone from his Paradise Valley home, where he's lived part time for more than 30 years. He typically spends his summers at his other home in England.

"We're all hunkered down in PV, slowly getting through this pandemic," he says. 

He hasn't even ventured out to his favorite casino, Wild Horse Pass. 

"I miss playing my friendly slots with the purple-haired ladies," he says, with a laugh.

Why Halford felt it was time for a memoir

It's been a powerful experience, writing a memoir.

"I've never done a book like this before," he says. "And I daresay I'll never do another one. But as I hit my seventh decade, the time felt right to confess."

The title of his memoir, as it turns out, is "Confess."

It is, as the publisher calls it, "an unforgettable rock 'n' roll story — a journey from a Walsall council estate (a form of British public housing) to musical fame via alcoholism, addiction, police cells, ill-fated sexual trysts and bleak personal tragedy, through to rehab, coming out, redemption ... and finding love."

As Halford says, "God is forgiving. That's the main thing."

From humble beginnings to rock stardom

The book chronicles Halford's life, from his humble beginnings in England's Black Country (a heavily industrialized region) through his rise to the top of the heavy metal world. It's the story of how he picked up the nickname Metal God along the way, the relief he felt in coming out and his hard-won struggle with sobriety.

It's a journey he believes could be of interest to an audience beyond what the singer refers to as "my beautiful metal maniacs."

ON PAUSE: Metro Phoenix concerts postponed or canceled due to coronavirus

Among the urban myths and innuendo Halford set out to debunk is that the studded leather biker look he rocks onstage is somehow a projection of his sexuality.

"It never was," he says. "That's just the way that not only myself but the band felt was the most potent and positive way to kind of marry and match the heaviness and power of the music."

Writing brought up painful memories

As much as he enjoyed the process, there are moments of his life that proved quite painful to relive, especially the death of his romantic partner, whose suicide inspired him to enter rehab in 1986. 

"I lost someone I was deeply in love with to suicide," Halford says.

"That was horrible to go back there and really kind of talk in detail about the circumstances and almost the minute-by-minute events of losing somebody like that. One minute you're hugging and then you can feel the gun in the waistband of their pants, and minutes later, they're gone."

It was a difficult story to tell, he says. 

"But I think it's an important one. The whole debate about suicide is something that needs to always be on the front burner."

Halford's struggles with addiction

Other painful memories he found it important to share ranged from his own abuse of alcohol and drugs to the sexual abuse he suffered as a teenager.

"These are really, from my perspective, important parts of the story of my life," he says. "And they do not need to be glossed over or hidden away. I feel that they have value in linking up the threads of the various decades of my life."

It's Halford's hope that in sharing his painful memories of how he got "completely lost" in his addiction, he could offer readers struggling with their own addictions help, in some small way, in what he viewed as a support group-style environment.

"I think that's what we do," he says.

"Any of us that are on this sober journey, regardless of who we are or what we do in life, when you talk about your story, it naturally connects to someone else who's either going through the same struggles or is also on the same sober journey themselves."

Why he considers himself a lucky man

One thing learned about himself while working on the memoir is that he's a very lucky man.

"I've been so gifted and lucky and privileged," Halford says, "to have such a long life in music and be surrounded by so much love and support that's enabled me to get so far and do so many things."

He couldn't have done those things, he says, without connecting with so many other people in his life.

"I think this is all just another example of how rich your life can be if you open up and embrace people, which for me, has always been at the forefront," he says. 

The Metal God in all his glory, warts and all

It's with how much those people have enriched his life in mind that Halford's memoir starts with a disclaimer.

"I have been totally candid in this memoir," he writes.

"This is my gospel truth, but it is not for me to insist that other people bare their souls quite so freely. A few names and other identifying details in 'Confess' have been changed — to protect the innocent and the guilty."

There are legal concerns, of course. But for Halford, the urge to protect the innocent and the guilty alike is based on something much deeper than fear of a lawsuit.

"There's an element of love and protection to people that you want to kind of make sure that they're taken care of in a respectful way," he says.

"Even though they were directly involved in your life and were part of the choices and circumstances of some of your life troubles. That's just being polite, and also sensible."

Some people "absolutely had to be included" in the book, he says. 

"Because they wrote large chunks and portions of my life. And that would have kind of broken the intent of what this whole book is about, its completeness."

That completeness is what Halford says he's hoping people come away appreciating.

"Some people might just be happy with this guy that sings in this incredible heavy metal band, enjoy the music and enjoy the show," he says.

"But if you're interested, then this is the complete story of the Metal God who finds that it's the right time to confess. And there he is in all his glory, warts and all. I never claimed to be untarnished."

Changing Hands and Zia Records will present a virtual author event, Rob Halford in Conversation with Sebastian Bach, live on Zoom on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Rob Halford in Conversation with Sebastian Bach

When: 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. 

Where: https://www.changinghands.com.

Admission: To attend this virtual event, the purchase of "Confess" ($33.43-$41.18) is required via Eventbrite at https://www.hanginghands.com.

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.