Rob Halford Says He “Tried to Seduce” Paul Di’Anno

Here’s some meaningless-but-fun gossip. According to a new excerpt from Rob Halford’s upcoming autobiography, the helpfully titled Confess: The Autobiography, the Judas Priest singer once considered trying to hook up with original Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno.

This was way back in 1980, when Iron Maiden were opening for Priest on the British Steel tour. Apparently, Di’Anno had bragged that Maiden would “blow Judas Priest off stage every night” — a brag which got Halford thinking:

“We didn’t really hang out and banter with Maiden much on that tour, but maybe I took Di’Anno’s comment that he would blow Priest off stage too literally… because the one night we got drunk together, I tried to seduce him! We went to my room to carry on drinking, but I was too pissed to try anything, and he was too pissed to even know what I wanted to try.

“I think that was definitely for the best.”

Given that Di’Anno went on to become a jackass, a criminal, and a homophobe, yeah, it probably was for the best.

Halford, of course, has been a trailblazer for gay people in metal, coming out of the closet way back in 1998. In June, he offered this advice to metalheads who want to do the same:

“Well, you don’t have to feel as alone as I did. At your fingertips are all of these resources, places you can go to help steer you through making that decision. It is up to you to decide. I have friends that are still deeply closeted of their own choice. That’s just the way it works for them.

“Gay metalheads, man, just come and join us and just get out and just have a blast. Have a good time with your life and don’t be afraid. It’s just fear more than anything else: fear of rejection, fear of being kicked out of the house by your family. It’s just unbelievable how there are always cruel aspects within a family that you didn’t know. But please don’t let that stop you. It’s your life. Claim it. It belongs to you.”

Confess is out September 28.

[via]