Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford is marking a major personal milestone: 40 years of sobriety.
On Tuesday, January 6, the 74-year-old metal icon posted a video message reflecting on the achievement, in which he said: “ Hi, everyone. Today I stand here with deep gratitude and thankfulness as I celebrate 40 years of sobriety.”
“Four decades ago, I made a decision to change the entire course of my life, stepping out of darkness into the light, toward the future I couldn’t see. As I’ve said before, it wasn’t easy, and still isn’t.”
“Recovery asks for complete honesty, humility and a willingness to grow one day at a time. With the love and support from my higher power, my family, friends and fans helping me guiding the way, I kept moving forward.”
“Over these years, I’ve learned that sobriety isn’t just about staying clean, it’s the presence of clarity, purpose and connectivity — a gift of showing up for my life each day for the people I love.”
“I’m grateful for the person I became and every challenge I’ve faced that made me stronger.”
“To those of you who may be considering that first step on to the journey with me, I hope that my own journey proves that recovery is possible. Hope is real, and each day at a time is a chance to begin again.”
“I love you.”
At last November’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, Halford took part in a Q&A with former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, where he opened up about the journey that led him to sobriety forty years ago.
He shared at the time: “My first sober show [with Priest] was at the Tingley Coliseum in [May] 1986 in New Mexico, Albuquerque. That was my first sober show, and I was absolutely terrified.”
However, the terror quickly gave way to a new understanding of his music and his abilities.
“And the first time I sang clean and sober was just something so remarkable. [I was] so elevated, just to feel the music for the first time in its purest sense, uncluttered, in reality. And to hear yourself and your voice, what it can do, your bandmates. I didn’t need this stuff — I didn’t need any of that to get me where I am.”
When asked if there was a specific, transformative “moment of clarity” that led to his decision to seek help, Halford described a devastating personal low point that spurred him to change his life.
“It’s difficult to express that moment, but when you’ve had your stomach pumped, because you were so sick of feeling sick and everything around you was so black and dark that you just wanted to leave all of that, that was part of the first major mental crisis that I went through.”
He also spoke openly about the physical manifestations of his self-anger during his active addiction, noting: “I would need my walls fixed, ’cause I was a puncher. After so many drinks, I’d become angry at myself and start punching walls.”
Ultimately, it was the sheer exhaustion of the cycle that prompted his commitment to recovery.
“Anybody in recovery will tell you that there’s a point where they’re just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired anymore, and then you make a change.” He concluded with the powerful affirmation: “I never wanna wake up feeling sick and tired, which is what I used to do.”
Halford discussed the reality that recovery is a daily process, noting that the pull of addiction remains ever-present, even after decades.
“Every day — for me every day, when a beer commercial comes on, or a hard liquor commercial comes on, I’m [feeling an emotional effect]. It’s amazing. It never, ever leaves you. That’s why it’s called an addiction. I’m an addict. I’m a recovering alcoholic and dr*g addict.”
He drew a sharp contrast between the rock industry’s past, which often romanticized dangerous behavior as a “rite of passage,” and the healthier culture of today’s music scene.
“Our business used to have a horrible trail of losing people and people getting into really bad ways… Nowadays when the tour bus pulls up [to a venue], the guys [from the bands] jump off the bus and they pull out weights and are skipping rope by the luggage racks, and that’s great. It’s less of a thing now.”
Halford credits his continued sobriety to his “higher power” and the tools gained from recovery, stating: “I’m just so happy and grateful that I’m at this place and living in the moment.”
