Confess: The Autobiography of the Man Behind Judas Priest

“I came up with the perfect title for my memoirs: ‘Confession.’ It’s just right. Because, trust me, this corrupt ‘priest’ sinned, sinned, and sinned again—but now it’s time to confess… and maybe even get your blessing.”

Rob Halford, the frontman of the legendary Judas Priest band, was born in the heart of industrial Great Britain, in a working-class family. Each morning his way to school went through black smog and smoke from a cast-iron foundry. “I always said that I could smell and taste heavy metal even before they invented this music…” Halford jokes with a bitter smirk.

His autobiography is a volatile mixture of an ode to the power of heavy metal, difficult moments in life, and calm self-mockery. It’s the story of a real rock star’s life—everything was there: alcohol, drugs, police arrests, secret sexual relationships, and a deep personal tragedy; a rehabilitation clinic, admitting to a non-traditional orientation, atonement… and the discovery of true love. This is a heartfelt confession that Halford decided to tell to the whole world.

Judas Priest is a cult British heavy-metal band. Its members have released 20 albums (and continue to tour actively around the world), and Halford himself has been awarded a “Grammy.”