Judas Priest's Rob Halford discusses reaching 36 years of sobriety

Reaching sobriety is one of the toughest things for anyone. So when you find out that Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford is about to mark 36 years without alcohol, the enormity of his achievement really hits home.

In a new interview with Spain’s Mariskal Rock, the singer discussed his hard-earned sobriety and how he’s managed to avoid any relapses over the years. “I think about it all the time,” he revealed in the interview.

“It’s an addiction. When I’m watching the Phoenix Cardinals play on TV the other day, there’s constantly adverts for beer and for alcohol and stuff. And I know it’s there. And it’s a temptation. So you have to have all of the mental tools ready to get you through that instance. ‘Cause it’s all about instances.”

Halford continued by detailing his philosophy on life. “I live one day at a time,” he said. “I’ve lived one day at a time for 35 years now. And that’s all that matters. It’s the moment. You live in the moment – not yesterday, not tomorrow; it’s now. And you have to be ready for when that little beer devil comes on your shoulder and goes, ‘Come on, Rob. Have a little drink of beer.’ ‘Fuck off.’ Because I don’t wanna feel that way again, man.”

He also reflected on how he never wants to return to being the person he was when he was drinking. “I was miserable,” he recalled. “I wasn’t happy. I was bad to people. I don’t wanna go through that again. That’s also part of my finding a balance in my day-to-day life.”

Halford is set to celebrate the 36th anniversary of his sobriety this week on Thursday, January 6th.

For more on this topic, follow the Metal Observer.