Judas Priest's Rob Halford Wants to Judge on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' | Page 2 | Revolver

Judas Priest's Rob Halford Wants to Judge on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'

"Get all the drag queens in full-on metal. Let's do it, Ru!"
rob halford 2019 PRESS

Heavy metal and drag culture intersect at many junctions: outrageous posturing, an uncanny flair for elaborate costuming, and devoted followings that devour every tidbit of their in-group's goings-on that they can. Nobody is better equipped to finally merge the two scenes quite like the dripping-leather Metal God who is Rob Halford, and a new video interview with Yahoo saw the Judas Priest frontman put out the call to RuPaul to appear on the famed drag performer's massively popular show Drag Race

"Get all the drag queens in full-on metal. Let's do it, Ru!" the singer declares during the clip after commending the contestants' "strength and power." Halford has been open about his sexuality since coming out on MTV in 1998; before then, he had remained in the closet for decades while Priest rode the waves of metal fame all the way to the top. After going public, Halford has been very vocal about the challenges facing LGBTQ+ folks and never shies from discussing the topic in interviews. 

 

"It's a beautiful insight to parts of our world, and it's really important, he says of Drag Race. "It has a tremendous amount of value." Halford also commends shows like Queer Eye for showing a different side of homosexuality, one that eschews the oppressive attitudes of the past and presents it as just a normal facet of human existence. "That whole thing about we are your bus driver, we are your nurse at school, we are your judge court," he explains. "We're their airline pilot. We are everywhere. Just taking away and destroying this horrible pushback that we have."

RuPaul's Drag Race will enter its 12th season soon, and hopefully Halford will see his wish come true and get a cameo on a special edition of the show. Until then, he and the rest of Judas Priest are up for a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2020 class, so the next year could shape up to be a big one for the ultimate heavy-metal leather daddy. Watch the Yahoo clip below.