Judas Priest singer Rob Halford was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the singer has revealed.
Halford dropped the bomb during an interview with Heavy Consequence to promote Judas Priest’s 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music anniversary box set, which was released today. Fortunately, he says he’s in remission:
“I had my little cancer battle a year ago, which I got through and that’s in remission now, thank God. That happened while we were all locked down, so things happen for a reason as far as time sequence of events. I have nothing but gratitude to be at this point in my life, still doing what I love the most.”
Halford’s memoir, Confess, has just been released in paperback, and includes a new chapter in which the vocalist further opens up about the ordeal. The Metal God says he began to show symptoms in 2017 before being diagnosed last year:
“How did I feel? I felt a combination of shock, horror, and oddly, relief — at least now I know!…’Am I going to die?’ It was all I could think of. I know blokes who’ve died of prostate cancer. ‘No, you’re not going to die, Rob,’ said Dr. Ali.”
Still, Halford says, the news hit him hard. Ultimately, he found solace in a commercial for a children’s cancer hospital:
“It showed kids with cancer. Some only babies. They were lying there, with tubes coming out of them, fighting for their lives. They didn’t know what was going on…It made me feel totally ashamed of myself; Rob, how dare you be so selfish? And from that second, I change my entire mental attitude towards my disease.”
Halford underwent a prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate) in July of 2020. After the cancer reappeared earlier in 2021, he spent April and May undergoing radiation therapy. Additionally, he had an appendectomy after discovered a tumor on his appendix.
Judas Priest were recently forced to postpone the remainder of an in-progress U.S. tour when guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered an aortic aneurysm and dissection mid-show. He is now home and recovering following ten hours of emergency open heart surgery.
Judas Priest are scheduled to play support on Ozzy Osbourne’s tour of Europe and the U.K. next year, although what Faulkner’s condition will be like then remains unclear. Dates are as follows:
Jan. 26 – Germany – Berlin Mercedes-Benz Arena [Tickets]
Jan. 28 – Czech Republic – Prague O2 Arena [Tickets]
Jan. 31 – Switzerland – Zurich Hallenstadion [Tickets]
Feb. 02 – Hungary – Budapest Budapest Arena (no Judas Priest) [Tickets]
Feb. 05 – Spain – Madrid WiZink Center [Tickets]
Feb. 08 – Italy – Bologna Unipol Arena [Tickets]
Feb. 11 – Germany – Mannheim SAP Arena [Tickets]
Feb. 14 – Germany – Hamburg Barclaycard Arena [Tickets]
Feb. 17 – Finland – Helsinki Hartwall Arena [Tickets]
Feb. 19 – Sweden – Stockholm Friends Arena [Tickets]
Feb. 21 – Germany – Dortmund Westfalenhalle [Tickets]
Feb. 24 – Germany – Munich Olympiahalle [Tickets]
Feb. 27 – UK – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena [Tickets]
Mar. 01 – Ireland – Dublin 3Arena [Tickets]
Mar. 04 – UK – Birmingham Resorts World Arena [Tickets]
Mar. 07 – UK – London The O2 [Tickets]
Mar. 09 – UK – Manchester AO Arena [Tickets]
Mar. 12 – UK – Newcastle Utilita Arena [Tickets]
Mar. 14 – UK – Glasgow The SSE Hydro [Tickets]