In a recent chat with Houston Chronicle, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford shared the pop song he’ll play on his deathbed.
“What’s remarkable about people like Gaga or Taylor Swift is their longevity,” the singer said. “They’re called pop artists. Is that the right word to call them? I don’t know. But pop, for as long as I can remember, for the most part, and don’t get me wrong here, it’s almost dispensable because there’s so much of it. It’s such a beautiful expression.”
Halford added, “It’s like catching fireflies. Pop songs can be gigantic, and then you’ll never hear them again. But then you’ll get a Madonna or a Cher or a Gaga, or hopefully Chappell or a Taylor Swift. The way they craft their music, it becomes immortal. I’ll still be banging my head to ‘Paparazzi’ on my deathbed.”
“I don’t know whether it’s because I’m a gay man and I just have this joy and love of all things creative and arts, I absorb it. I don’t believe in barriers. I don’t believe in walls. I don’t believe in censorship. I think that all music is a feast. All of it touches me in various ways. And I translate all of that into my own work,” he continued.
Halford talked about his wish to work with Lady Gaga in several interviews. The frontman called her the best at what she does and said he’s been a fan since he first saw her. He mentioned that he would love to perform her song ‘Born This Way’ because he strongly supports the LGBTQ+ community.
He said, “I would definitely do ‘Born This Way’ because that’s our anthem. As far as Priest songs go, I think I’d like to do ‘Breaking The Law’ with her because it talks about the frustration that we go through, particularly as young people.”
Halford discovered that Gaga liked Judas Priest when he saw a photo of her wearing one of their shirts. He met Gaga in 2014 thanks to their friend DJ Lady Starlight, who invited him to a Gaga concert. At the concert, he realized that Gaga really was a fan of Judas Priest.