Rob Halford reveals the story behind the casual, totally unplanned way he came out on MTV in 1998

“In the casual course of the conversation, we were talking about the overall music, and the direction, and the feelings. And I said something to the effect of, ‘Well, speaking as a gay man, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.’ And then I heard the producer’s clipboard bounce on the floor. It was one of those gay sharp intakes, ‘Oh my god, he’s come out!’

The pressure was gone, and there’s no more talking behind your back because you have all this ammunition of power as a gay person now, as an out gay person. Nothing can hurt you because this is it. You can’t throw insults, you can’t throw rumors, you can’t say anything negative about me because I am who I am. So that’s my wonderful memory of my great coming out day.”Judas Priest rocker Rob Halford speaking to NME about coming out on MTV in 1998.