Ah… Halford…. Lead singer for Priest.

He lived in the Hillcrest area of San Diego. I hung out there all the time. And he hung out there just like anyone else.

What surprises me is that no one ever mobbed Rob. He was hanging out in coffee shops and record stores. From time to time, someone would come up to him and tell him how much they loved Priest growing up. Rob reacted friendly and gracious about it every time.

Every here and there, I ran into him at a coffee shop. He would be smoking in the patio and drinking coffee with someone—I presume his boyfriend at the time. And we’d engage in light chatter. I never let on I was a Priest fan, and never really introduced myself. Figured that if I did, I’d aggravate the man.

I’ve never heard an impolite word out of Rob Halford’s mouth. (Unless it was on a Priest record.) He was probably one of the nicest guys in town. Not sure where he lives now. I left San Diego years ago. But he was one of the nicer people to run into during that time.