Judas Priest’s Rob Halford Sober For 39 Years: ‘I Never Wanna Wake Up Feeling Sick And Tired Again’

Legendary Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford recently offered a candid reflection on his journey to sobriety, which now spans more than 39 years. Speaking during a Q&A session with former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson at the Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, Halford detailed the terrifying yet liberating experience of performing clean for the first time.

The metal god pinpointed the exact moment his professional life changed forever: “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.”