Rob Halford has reassured fans that he has no plans of retiring while Judas Priest are still going strong.
The UK legends are coming off the release of one of 2024’s best metal albums, Invincible Shield, and have been touring relentlessly in support of it.
Ahead of the band’s forthcoming Fall North American tour (get tickets here), the 73-year-old metal icon spoke with Iowa’s Rock 108 about Priest’s current momentum and the future of his own career.
“I think if your desire is still there,” Halford said [as transcribed by Classic Rock], “if your passion is still there, if you can still deliver the [goods] — to quote a Priest song — if you’re moving along and the machine’s not too wobbly, you can still get from A to B on one wheel, as long as it looks good and sounds good and all the other pieces are in place, why would you want to retire?”
He continued, opening up about the personal importance of being the Metal God: “I wouldn’t know what to do with my life if I suddenly couldn’t do this beautiful work. I need to do it. It’s part of me that I need to do to live as a person because I love it so much. And I think I’m speaking for everybody in Priest. And that’s the leading light that pushes through. That’s what keeps you carrying on.”
Halford went on to thank Priest’s loyal legion of fans for keeping the band on the road and in fine form, as we witnessed at their show in New Jersey earlier this year.
“You marry that instantly with our glorious fans here in America and around the world that have kept this heavy metal machine rolling, because we can’t do this alone,” he said. “We’d look pretty dumb going into an arena if there’s nobody in there. You need people there. That’s part of the experience. It completes you. A live show completes the love of your band.”
Judas Priest kick off their tour on Friday (September 13th) in Montreal. Below you can watch the new Rock 108 interview with Halford.