For some twenty years as front man for Birmingham metal legends JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Rob Halford came to epitomise the term Heavy Metal not only in his onstage regalia of extravagantly studded leather but for a vocal range and expression that many aspired to but few could match. Born Robert John Arthur Halford on 25th August 1951 in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire he was raised in Walsall.

Halford's activity outside of JUDAS PRIEST whilst he was still a member was minimal. He contributed vocals to Ronnie James Dio's HEAR N' AID 'Stars' Band Aid project and had produced a demo for Phoenix act SURGICAL STEEL. Other activity found the vocalist adding his deft touch to the track 'Ready To Burn' on KROKUS's 1983 album 'Headhunter' and guesting with SKID ROW on their live version of 'Delivering The Goods'.

Upon completion of a world tour to promote JUDAS PRIEST's 'Painkiller' album Halford announced he wished to pursue solo work. At first this would be with his band mates blessing, although the situation soon turned sour, causing the singer to relinquish his post. The singer was not of the news for long though as he performed with BLACK SABBATH at two shows in Costa Mesa, California during November 1992 when Ronnie James Dio pulled out. Halford learnt the entire set list in just two days and put in a performance that would land itself in the Heavy Metal history books. Needless to say bootlegs were soon circulating amongst fans disappointed the event was not captured on audio officially.

Upon splitting from JUDAS PRIEST Halford first cut the 'Light Out Of Black' track borrowing the musicians from PANTERA. The song was used on the 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' movie soundtrack. The vocalist then created FIGHT with American musicians, a tough act musically but sorely lacking the finesse of JUDAS PRIEST. Although many viewed the act as highly derivative of PANTERA the act nevertheless built up a healthy fan base. After three commendable albums and high profile touring, including supports to METALLICA and ANTHRAX, Halford eventually folded FIGHT. Rumours abounded in 1996 that BLACK SABBATH guitarist TONY IOMMI and Halford were colluding on an projected album but this did not develop. Instead, the singer forged HALFORD. This act initially comprised two FIGHT personnel, guitarist Brian Tilse and bassist Jay Jay (a.k.a. John Brown). Together with VENT drummer Don Juan the band delivered a one off show at the Phoenix Mason Jar on December 20th 1997 as a benefit for the city's Child Crisis Center's 'Children Of The Desert' charity.

Halford (now sporting skin-tight blue rubberwear on stage!) signed his Industrial Metal act, then still titled HALFORD, to NINE INCH NAILS guru Trent Reznor's record label for a further project album. HALFORD became GIMP and then TWO. By now adopting the Nosferatu look and infamously proclaiming Metal to be dead, surprised nobody when, in January 1998 on MTV, he officially declared himself to be gay. Despite his legions of fans being already aware of this fact it nevertheless generated a great deal of global media coverage.

It came as no great shock that the TWO project, in spite of musically in its own right being an adventurous experiment, proved commercially disastrous and by late 1999 Halford had got back to his Metal roots. The singer announced his return with an internet available download track 'Silent Screams'. This heralded a new management deal with Sanctuary (responsible for IRON MAIDEN) and a new album 'Resurrection' which many thought to be Halford's finest career effort yet.

Whilst quelling JUDAS PRIEST reformation rumours the album, which included a duet, 'The One You Love To Hate', with IRON MAIDEN vocalist BRUCE DICKINSON, tactically saw a track co-written with JUDAS PRIEST songwriting collaborator BOB HALLIGAN JR. Halford's pre production had involved discussions with Attie Bauw and Tom Allom, both with obvious JUDAS PRIEST connections. Although ex-SAN ANTONIO SLAYER, RIOT and SPASTIC INK man Bobby Jarzombek contributed the bulk of the percussion work, sessioning on the track 'The One You Love To Hate' would be the GENE LOVES JEZEBEL, ENGINE, STEEL PROPHET and FACE TO FACE credited drummer Pete Parada.

The singer's live band included drummer Rob Jarzombek, guitarists Patrick Lachman, previously with STATE OF THE ART and also a member of DIESEL MACHINE, and the Polish born MIKE CHLASIACK along with ex-DIRTY BLONDE and TWO bass player Ray Riendeau. Lachman's pre HALFORD history had seen the guitarist, alongside his brother ex-GARGOYLE vocalist Tim Lachman, being involved with STATE OF THE ART in league with future RAISED BY ALIENS bassist Alex Sarabia and drummer Dennis Kelly. The Lachman siblings would later be found in both ERROR 7 and ELEVENTH HOUR with both of these acts donating tracks to an IRON MAIDEN tribute album before Pat hooked up with HALFORD.

Rob Halford toured as support to IRON MAIDEN in the UK during November and included numerous JUDAS PRIEST numbers in his live set including 'Electric Eye', 'Riding On The Wind', 'Tyrant' and 'Running Wild'. Halford would solidify the tie to IRON MAIDEN by acting as guests on their American dates as well as shows in South America including Mexico, Chile, Argentina and the gargantuan 'Rock In Rio' festival. A European headline tour in November saw American Thrashers OVERKILL as support. American headline dates were also squeezed in as well as a headline spurt in Japan where 'Resurrection' made a huge impact reaching number 4 in the album charts. Fans at these gigs were treated to rare live versions of JUDAS PRIEST tracks such as 'Stained Class' and 'Genocide'. When the dust settled 'Resurrection' was deemed to have been an undisputed success story putting Halford back into the charts with a vengeance.

Rumours surfaced in late 2000 of a joint Rob Halford, BRUCE DICKINSON and Geoff Tate (of QUEENSRYCHE) future project suitably titled 'The Three Tremors'.

Early 2001 witnessed the surge of support captured on a double live album 'Live Insurrection'. Once again produced by Roy Z not only did the record include the full live set but also reworked studio versions of JUDAS PRIEST out takes 'Heart Of A Lion' and 'Prisoner Of Your Eyes'. Japanese versions of the album on JVC Victor Records would also include a bonus track, a version of the SCORPIONS 'Blackout' with a guesting Rudolf Schenker.

In March of 2001 MIKE CHLASCIAK issued his third solo album 'The Spilling'. Jarzombek and Riendeau would also get back to work on a new 2001 SPASTIK INK record. Lachman would forge a new project with erstwhile PRONG mainman Tommy Victor and drummer Dan Laudo.

Chlasciak would make the best of his HALFORD down time after recording his parts for the second studio album. The guitarist contributed guitar to a take on LED ZEPPELIN's 'Immigrant Song' by IAN PARRY for a tribute album and also on two cuts, 'Controlled' and 'Fear' on the 2002 PRIMAL FEAR opus 'Black Sun'. A whole triumvirate of HALFORD players would donate their services to the 2002 'Earthmaker' endeavour of ROYAL HUNT vocalist JOHN WEST, the album seeing sessions from Mike Chlasciak on guitar, Ray Riendeau on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums.

HALFORD readied a second studio album, 'Crucible', ready for release in mid 2002. A batch of European summer festivals throughout June and July would be announced including the 'Sweden Rock Festival', the Italian 'Gods Of Metal', the Greek 'Rockwave' event, Belgium's long established 'Graspop' show and both 'Bang Your Head' and 'With Full Force' in Germany. As it transpired HALFORD put on live sets in Sweden and Italy dominated by JUDAS PRIEST classics. HALFORD would also be confirmed as the headline act at the 'Soyorock' festival in Kyung Gi Do, Korea during August but then made a public announcement stating that he was to withdraw from forthcoming gigs due to exhaustion. The singer had also taken the unusual step of apologising in print for recent lack lustre stage performances.

Reports also surfaced suggesting the singer was to make a cameo appearance, as a sex shop employee, in the Mickey Rourke movie 'Spun'. More tellingly Halford publicly expressed a desire to re-unite with former band mates JUDAS PRIEST. Guitarist Mike Chlasciak launched a side venture PAINMUSEUM in August. Although the PAINMUSEUM title had been around since 1998, and the demo album 'The Scourge', this revised version saw all new band members including HALFORD drummer Bobby Jarzombek, vocalist Tim Clayborne and Steve Booke on bass.

HALFORD's proposed live activities in North America in support of 'Crucible' would be limited to a one off show in Las Vegas packaged with TESTAMENT and VIO-LENCE. However, guitarist Pat Lachman exited upfront of these gigs to concentrate on his act DIESEL MACHINE. It subsequently emerged that Lachman had also been instrumental in building up a brand new band project with himself as lead vocalist, the PANTERA pairing of guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul alongside erstwhile JERRY-CANTRELL guitarist Sean Matthews (as bassist) entitled NEW FOUND POWER. (Subsequently re-billed DAMAGEPLAN).

As a temporary stand in for the USA gigs long term HALFORD producer, DOWNSET live guitarist and former TRIBE OF GYPSIES member Roy Z was pulled in. However, much to fans dismay Rob Halford encountered visa problems when attempting to fly back to North America from a Christmas break in the UK and was refused entry. It would revealed after the event that FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist Jason Ward was scheduled to deputise for Ray Riendeau for these shows, the regular HALFORD bassist having suffered a family tragedy just beforehand. The gigs would be postponed. Live dates in Japan, allied with Finland's CHILDREN OF BODOM, were announced for February 2003. New guitarist Chad Tarrington, previously with Burlington, Ontario's FOREVER THE PAIN, apparently joined up in early February but Roy Z would still fulfill Japanese dates. It would later be learned that Roy Z had committed to summer shows too.

Halford's much vaunted 'Metal Gods 2003' North American tour package saw the inclusion of TESTAMENT, IMMORTAL, PAINMUSEUM, PRIMAL FEAR, AMON AMARTH and CARNAL FORGE for dates commencing late April. The first three gigs, planned to commence 25th April in Chicago, saw Polish Black Metal veterans BEHEMOTH also along for the ride. The band finally parted ways with Ray Riendeau upfront of these gigs, replacing him swiftly with erstwhile LIZZY BORDEN, TERRIF and BRANOM man Mike Davis. Fans were further delighted to see Halford including rare JUDAS PRIEST moments such as 'Never Satisfied' from the 1974 'Rocka Rolla' album, the first time the track had been aired live in over 25 years.

However, fans would then be shocked to discover the entire tour, bar initial dates, was unceremoniously pulled at short notice amidst much controversy. HALFORD rescheduled shows quickly, taking along TESTAMENT, PAINMUSEUM and LEATHERWOLF for fill in dates. Even these hastily regrouped shows did not go without a hitch as dates dropped off and PAINMUSEUM pulled out citing "economic" reasons. SKINLAB filled in for two dates.

Early July brought news that all JUDAS PRIEST fans had been awaiting with the reunion of band and Rob Halford. Although rumours and conjecture had been in free flow for many years, apparently this decision was only taken just weeks before the announcement. A new studio album was plotted for 2004, the band's 30th anniversary. As the reformed band unit settled down to write material for a new album Rob Halford made time to participate in a VH1 television documentary 'AIDS: A Pop Culture History'.

Guitarist Mike Chlasciak joined the ranks of veteran Thrash act TESTAMENT in April of 2004. Bobby Jarzombek enrolled into the ranks of ICED EARTH in May. Despite much of 2005 being taken up with a new JUDAS PRIEST album 'Angel Of Retribution' and world tour Halford was keen to announce that a fresh HALFORD album, retaining guitarists Metal Mike Chlasciak and Roy Z. with bassist Mike Davis and drummer Bobby Jarzombek, was projected for a late 2005 recording. Meantime, Bobby Jarzombek laid down drums for a new DEMONS & WIZARDS album in January of 2005. The following month, former HALFORD bassist Ray Riendeau announced a new band entitled BRUTALITY in union with LYNCH MOB credited drummer Clancy McCarthy and bassist Lance Grant, both formerly of DISLOCATED STYLES. Chlasciak joined ex-SKID ROW singer SEBASTIAN BACH's band in March. Band mate Bobby Jarzombek followed suit, joining Bach's band in May.

In early 2005 ex-HALFORD bassist Mike Davis featured in the multi-national Hard Rock outfit THE COTTON SOETERBOEK BAND, comprising a veteran cast including AYREON singer Robert Soeterboek, guitarist Alan Cotton, Joost van den Broek from AFTER FOREVER and SUN CAGED on Keyboards with SAHARA, ROB ROCK and DRIVER man Reynold 'Butch' Carlson on drums.

On June 1st 2006 Rob Halford announced the formation of the Metal God Entertainment label to re-issue his HALFORD and FIGHT material plus an intended fourth HALFORD opus. It was learned recording for the new HALFORD album had been wrapped up by August. On November 21st the band debuted its first new track in more than four years with 'Forgotten Generation' exclusively as an iTunes digital download. One week later 'Resurrection', 'Live Insurrection' and 'Crucible' were all re-issued hosting bonus material. A compilation, 'Metal God Essentials - Volume 1', featured two brand new songs 'Forgotten Generation' and 'Drop Out', followed up by an EP billed 'Silent Screams'.