Rob Halford says he'll keep singing as long as his body will let him – even if that means belting out his songs in backstreet bars.
The Judas Priest frontman looks at musical icons like Mick Jagger and Willie Nelson for inspiration when it comes to longevity.
And while he’d prefer his career to continue with the veteran metal outfit, he doesn’t intend to stop playing to crowds, whatever the circumstances.
Halford tells the Broward Palm Beach New Times: “It’s a wonderful life. We take our music seriously and we take our performances very seriously – but you’ve got to be able to lighten up every now and again or else you’ll go fucking crazy.
“I want to keep doing this for as long as I can do it. I don’t know how long that’s going to be. I look at all these other great artists like Leonard Cohen; he’s still out there. Willie Nelson, he’s still out there. Mick Jagger, he’s still out there. I’m like, ‘I’d love to do that.’
“Will l have the opportunity to do it in the same place I’m at now? Maybe – or maybe not. If not, then you’ll find me in the Bada Bing Lounge off the strip in Las Vegas.”
The singer says the band feel “reignited” by latest album Redeemer Of Souls and adds that he can’t quite put his finger on what it is about heavy metal that so inspires musicians and fans – but he knows that he still feels it.
He reflected: I don’t think you can really talk about it. It’s such an internal thing, isn’t it? It’s so driven by emotion, and I think it’s also driven by the creative flow that you still hopefully have, and we’ve definitely got a ton of that.
“It’s a mixture of things and, a lot of the times, it’s just waiting for the opportunity to show itself. As long as you’ve got those ingredients in stock, there’s lots of potential waiting to be discovered.”
Priest cracked the UK top 20 with Redeemer Of Souls in July.
