30 Years Sober With Rob Halford

In an interview from Canada's Rock N' Roll Breakfast Show, Rob Halford of Judas Priest spoke about how he has been able to stay clean and sober since January 6th, 1986, and the kind of affect it has had on performing and his personal life.

"Well, it's an incredible life, isn't it?" Halford said. "It's still very much one day at a time. I think that's the only way you can really make it work."

"I'm leaving a trail behind me by January the 6th of thirty years. And some people are, like 'Oh my God! Thirty years.' Well, it really isn't that. It's a trail of sobriety that I really know for a fact has helped me in my career and in my life as a musician and as a person. I'd like to feel that I'm better in both worlds in that respect. I think I've improved in a lot of ways because of being able to stay clean and sober. But, you know, it's remarkable. And you can't do it by yourself - you have to use the tools that you're given by other people who have got your back and look out for you. And, again, it comes back, a lot of it, to my fans."

Halford went on to explain how his fans act as his motivators to remain sober: "Look, most of the Priest fans drink, but they keep me sober. That might sound crazy. But I have to go out there night after night and do my work in the way that's expected from me. And I can't go out there drunk. I con't go out there smashed and drugged. That's cheating my fans. That's giving them a poorer display. So, if that makes sense, that's also part of my daily spiritual ritual - keeping clean and sober for my own well being, but also for my fans and everybody else."

As someone that has been battling substance abuse, Halford extended an olive branch to others facing similar issues: "For anybody who's listening to us, if you're facing that kind of challenge in your life, please help yourself. You hear all these silly things like, 'Rehab is for quitters,' and, 'You're a man. Have a drink,' blah blah blah. If you're going through the same difficulties that I went through, you know that it can be a matter of life or death, quite frankly. So be aware there's people out there, there's great organizations out there to help you start on a path to a brand new life that's full of wonderful things waiting to happen."

(source: Blabbermouth)