#Judas Priests lead singer is openly gay

[earlofbats]

Discotechs died with the collapse of the gay party scene, the Reagan administration, the rise of the LGBT community and gay liberation movement.

In Disco Elysium disco fell as Revachol lost its independence and the grasp of the moralintern, coalition and the economic disparity of capitalism shut its jaws around the people.

EDM, electronic dance music birthed from the ashes of the discotech and new club music was born, similarly ADM, Adonic Dance Music is starting its journey into the main stream.

This places culturally and phonically Disco Elysium sometime in the mid to late 80s or even Early 90s.

Now I wanted to figure out what music was on Speedfreak radio:

DJ mesh says:

"...AND DE FACTO THE FASTEST MUSIC IN ALL OF R-R-REVACHOL R-ROCK CITY. ALL YOU HOOLIGANS, DOWNTOWN DRIFTERS, SIDEWAYS SALLIES AND POWERSLIDING PIERRES."

The only song we hear on Speedfreaks radio is described as:

"If, when a motor-carriage's engine was ignited, it could drive by its own accord off to a high mountain and there write a song -- perhaps it'd be something like what you're hearing now."

We know that the music is rock and it's fast and has the essence of something a car would write as well as a clear association with car culture.

Similarly around the mid to late 80s metal rock music was gaining popularity in the mainstream.

Including a subgenre of metal known as speed metal.

Anyway, I'm not a huge metal fan, in fact I'm a complete noob when it comes to the genre.

But I've done my best collecting some metal from the time period that I think would be played on Speedfreaks FM and would be to Kim's tastes.

As well as a few more anachronistic additions plus some songs just for fun.

The mix isn't quite done so if you have recommendations leave em in the comments or notes!

Also check out my similarly done Disco Mixtape.

Also also check out my Kim fic I'm working on.

[disast3rtransp0rt]

73-year-old openly gay lead singer of one of the first two heavy metal bands in history, Rob Halford, rides his motorcycle onto the stage in a personalized battle jacket to perform "Hell Bent for Leather". He has a riding crop between his teeth, a proud symbol of his queerness, biker history, and membership to the BDSM community.

Judas Priest has been touring for over 50 years and, alongside Black Sabbath, INVENTED Heavy Metal in the late 60s and throughout the 70s and 80s to now. In fact, their most recent album came out in 2024! Invincible Shield.

They're my dad's second favorite band and my all-time favorite. I've seen them three times and I'm honestly hoping he retires soon to enjoy his life, husband, and many cats.

Anyway, here's to the Metal God.

[history105rockandrollblog]

Lecture 18: British Heavy Metal band Judas Priest, originally founded in West Bromwich, a borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England, soared to the dizzying heights of success once vocalist Rob Halford joined the band in 1973. This song, “Living After Midnight,” turned up on the band’s 1980 album British Steel. Priest would go on to have a number of successful albums throughout the 1980s and in 1990, with the album Painkiller. Lead singer Halford – who left the band in 1992 and later returned to it in 2003 – came out in a 1998 MTV interview as openly gay, a courageous move in the world of Heavy Metal. Today, Priest is remembered as being one of the greatest bands of the heyday of Metal, with a lineup of musicians that elevated their music high above their competitors in the genre. 

[soft--queen]

10 LGBT+ classic rock stars that aren't Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, or Elton John

Pete Townshend

Pete is best known as the tall, short tempered energetic guitarist and writer of almost all of the songs by The Who. He was the member who came up with their trademark move of smashing the instruments at the end of each show, and became a voice for youth at the time with one of their many hits 'Talkin 'Bout My Generation.' He came out in his memoir as well as an interview in 1989, saying he was bisexual, and also said he identified as both a woman and a man, saying: "I know how if feels to be a woman because I am a woman, and I won't be classified as just a man."

Debbie Harry

Lead singer and writer for the band Blondie, she's a bisexual woman well known for her colourful taste in fashion and unmistakable voice. Her musical career started out in the punk genre but she is best known for writing and singing some of the most popular new wave songs including Heart of Glass, Call Me, and One Way or Another.

Janis Joplin

Often cited as the face of American blues, folk, soul and rock, Janis Joplin is WLW and had numerous relationships with men and women in her life. She was famed for her distinctive husky voice and powerful and captivating stage presence that left audiences stunned.

Dave Davies

The guitarist in 60s British invasion group The Kinks revealed he was bisexual in his autobiography in 1997. The more outgoing of the Davies brothers in the band, of which he had a difficult and fiery relationship with, Dave also experimented with makeup and women's clothing in the 60s and 70s. Many people claim his riffs were the very earliest beginnings of heavy metal.

Sir Ray Davies

Ray Davies wrote and sung most of The Kink's songs, including their most successful song Lola, which is about a transgender woman. Although quieter and more laid back than his brother, he does not have a quiet tongue either. His endless brotherly quarrels with Dave continue to this day, although they live next door to one another. He is MLM.

Kim Deal

As well as playing Bass for the late 80s indie rock band The Pixies and fronting the 90s band The Breeders, Kim Deal has studied and worked in cellular biology. She has said that she is asexual and also identifies as a feminist. Kim Deal has a unique philosophy in recording music, in that she uses no modern means of production such as digital recording, computers, and auto tuning.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Recognised as the inventor of rock and roll, Tharpe was a pioneer for combining blues and gospel to create a unique sound partnered with her electric guitar as early as the late 30s. She is WLW. Her relationship with Marie Knight became a controversial topic when it was discovered by the public, especially from her religious background.

Rob Halford

Singer and songwriter of the popular heavy metal band Judas Priest, Rob was initially uneasy about coming out as gay due to heavy metal's often homophobic following, but was surprised when he was overwhelmingly supported. He now calls himself the 'stately homo of heavy metal' and speaks openly about the ongoing struggles that LGBT+ people face.

Marc Bolan

In 1971, a tiny 5"4 Marc Boland performed in his band T-Rex on Top Of The Pops wearing glitter under his eyes. This is widely recognised as the starting point of the glam rock movement. He had relationships with men and women in his life, and came out as bisexual in 1975. He was Jewish and he became a style icon of the 70s for his corkscrew hair, colourful fashion and whimsical happy-go-lucky attitude.

Lou Reed

Lou Reed's infamously dry humour and deadpan voice set him apart from other rock stars of his time. As a child his parents put him in a mental hospital and he was given electric shock therapy to try and 'cure' his interest in men. He grew in popularity in the 60s as The Velvet Underground's lead singer and guitarist and went on to have a successful solo career, where he frequently wrote and sung about LGBT people. Reed is MLM and also Jewish!

[pcrfectstorms]

okay, so i want to talk a little about eddie munson’s relationship to sex and his sexuality, since i haven’t really addressed it beyond his obvious queerness. tw for SA mention && general nsfw

given the time period, ‘queer’ in the way we use it today wasn’t super commonly used, the reclamation of the word was pretty much in its infancy, and for the most part was still largely used as a slur, so while eddie will crack jokes to those he’s close too and trust about being a queer, it’s not really how he’d self identify his sexuality. he is pansexual, but while pansexual was used in the 80′s wasn’t super commonly used, and more so used within the kink and leather communities. so eddie, if pushed would shrug and tell you he’s gay or whatever, he likes both, doesn’t discriminate, likes to keep his options open --you get the idea. he’s more a vibes over gender type person, but definitely has more crushes on boys.

so what you gotta know is hawkins eddie, and Indianapolis eddie is two very different persona’s, in the city he is much more confident and flirty, and openly queer (in safe spaces), he can put on his persona and be the very best version he wishes he could always, but eddie is a flirt naturally, so while he is more sure of himself in indy, boy will flirt regardless.

most of what he’s learned about sex, has been with the men he met in gay clubs in indianapolisis, he got a fake ID when he was 16, as soon as he could drive and started going into the city, at first it was dive bars and punk scene type venues, and eventually he learned about club 21, and stated to explore the gay scene as a baby queer who had limited experience with men or women. most of his experience were with much older men, who sweet talked him, and took advantage of naivety pushing his limits beyond what he was comfortable with. Almost all of his sexual experiences with older men haven’t been favourable, and the consent has been questionable at best, and down right absent in other cases.

eddie is vers, however given his bad experience in the past, he will say he’s a top, in order to protect himself and avoid getting hurt again, if he’s the one calling the shots it has to go in his favour, right? he does have an interest in kink and BDSM, although he isn’t super well versed on things, since his limited experience comes from older ‘dominant’ tops, and while he has had at least one good experience with a guy who was only 4 years his senior, who taught him all about safe words, and traffic light code, and even taught him some shirbari, which he is super fascinated by.

he is vaguely aware of hanky code, and queer flagging, he knows as much in that wearing it in his back pocket signals to fellow queers he is queer, but not so much in the in depth knowledge that wearing a black one in his left pocket means he’s flagging as an S&M top, however close to the truth that may be, it’s purely coincidental. but when someone points that out to him in indy, he goes along with it, and finds it a little funny since, he’s only really bottomed at this point.

as far as his gender presentation and identity goes, he’s cis-ish, but very much gender non-conforming, metalhead fashion has a lot of cross over with queer fashion and i think that’s super important to take note of, w.a.s.p which, eddie has a pin of so clearly is a fan’s style was very much gender nonconforming, and then you have the lead singer of Judas Priest, Rob Halford,  an openly gay man (although closeted at the time in ‘86) who had HUGE influence on metal fashion and pushing the boundaries of gender fuckery in fashion, eddie is absolutely influenced by him, by bowie, by elements of hair metal style and punk too, all of which have an over arching theme of gender nonconformity, so to eddie, call him a boy, a girl, anything in between and he literally wouldn’t give a shit, he’s an any pronouns kinda bitch and i love that for him.

[rockhistory105]

Lecture 18: British Heavy Metal band Judas Priest, originally founded in West Bromwich, a borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England, soared to the dizzying heights of success once vocalist Rob Halford joined the band in 1973. This song, “Living After Midnight,” turned up on the band’s 1980 album British Steel. Priest would go on to have a number of successful albums throughout the 1980s and in 1990, with the album Painkiller. Lead singer Halford – who left the band in 1992 and later returned to it in 2003 – came out in a 1998 MTV interview as openly gay, a courageous move in the world of Heavy Metal. Today, Priest is remembered as being one of the greatest bands of the heyday of Metal, with a lineup of musicians that elevated their music high above their competitors in the genre. 

[erekuri]

OK BIG BRAIN TIME! Joker Game x BABYMETAL AU

For anyone who may not know who BABYMETAL is, they are a Japanese idol group/metal band with 2 (formerly 3) members. They are popular for the way they combine Japanese idol cuteness with heavy metal, and some have dubbed their style “kawaii metal.” Their music is amazing for real please check it out! 

BABYMETAL are loved in Japan and around the world, and they’ve met many big names in metal/rock such as Metallica, Judas Priest, and Dragonforce. They have choreography in their songs and their performances are really fun to watch :D

So, I was in the shower when this idea came to me. Since originally they had 3 members, I was thinking that the 160 cm trio of Miyoshi, Hatano, and Jitsui would be well-suited for this. BABYMETAL also consists of a band, so the other 5 spies would be in said band, and Yuuki would be the manager. So it’ll look like this:

IDOLS:

Miyoshi (center/lead vocalist)

Hatano (vocalist/rapper)

Jitsui (main vocalist)

BAND:

Kaminaga (drums/waidako)

Tazaki (keyboard/piano)

Fukumoto (lead guitar/violin)

Odagiri (bass guitar/cello/harp/acoustic)

Amari (secondary guitar/trumpet/saxophone) 

IDOLS:

By center, I mean that Miyoshi will almost always be at the center of their photos and is deemed as the ‘main member.’ (In K-pop terms, think of visuals and centers such as Yoona from Girls’ Generation or Kai from EXO.) He’s the member who will usually take the lead in interviews because he’s the oldest, though all 3 seem to have drunk from the fountain of youth lol. Jitsui is the main vocalist, so he gets the most lines as well as the high notes if the song has one. Hatano gets the least, but generally the line distribution is even enough that there are little complaints. He will also rap on occasion (think Linkin Park or Hollywood Undead) but most of their songs are singing-based. Hatano and Miyoshi will also do adlibs while Jitsui is known for his stunning vocal runs. Even though Jitsui is their main vocalist, Miyoshi is the one who gets put in the center of their dance formations more often. 

Ah right, their voices. (Since I am more familiar with K-pop rather than J-pop vocalists, they’ll be my main references here. My apologies in advance.)

Jitsui is the main vocalist. He needs a sweet voice to compliment his sweet face, but it’s also gotta be powerful. Ryeowook from Super Junior would be the perfect fit here, because it’s got this sweet tone to it but also nice and clear and the high notes would sound like a literal choir of angels. 

Miyoshi’s vocal color would be like Suho from EXO. Clear and sweet and comforting. His falsettos are the most flawless thing you’ve ever heard, and the emotion he puts into his singing is on another level. His voice is, in a word, PRETTY.

Since Hatano does both vocals and rap, I’m thinking his vocal color would be like Key from SHINee. With that higher tone he has, it suits Hatano’s appearance and personality wonderfully. Both his singing and rapping are amazing and he likes to scream sometimes to hype up the crowd lol.

(All vocalists mentioned are from SM Entertainment groups,,, damn, I really said SINGERS ONLY and I really like all 3 choices I made omg. MY MIND.)

(In the real BABYMETAL, member Su-metal sings the majority but I am not deep enough in the fandom to know how fans feel about it. I don’t mind too much since the songs slap either way lmao. And I think the balance is nice but that’s just me. However, for the 160cm trio, I had to even it up because I am someone who typically prefers more even line distributions when it comes to idol groups.)

As for their dancing, BABYMETAL’s choreography is a unique one where 1 is center and the other 2 are backup. For my AU, however, I’d make the choreo more like EXO-CBX in that it’s suited for 3 people, while also taking notes from Super Junior (for their earlier metal songs) or Dreamcatcher (for their famous ‘anime-style’ music.) 

BAND:

Because they’re a metal group, Kaminaga will almost always be on the drum kit, and by God he is good at it. The drum kit he uses is one you’ll see in most metal bands, but he also uses an auxiliary drum kit (which is electrical and has sensors and stuff) for the group’s more experimental tracks. When they want to go something more traditional or epic, he’ll bring out his wadaiko (traditional Japanese drum) and go at it. He’s also the unofficial leader of the band. 

Tazaki plays the keyboard. I personally envision Tuomas from Nightwish when I think of this position, but there are other keyboard players in metal bands out there that are fun to watch. Tazaki is generally a calm person, but when he plays he headbangs like crazy. He’ll play the piano when they do softer songs, and his pretty fingers are mesmerizing to watch. Oh yeah, and the keyboard he uses is a synthesizer due to the underlying ‘pop’ aspect in their music, considering it’s for an idol group.

Fukumoto would be the main/lead guitarist. He’d get pretty much all the solos (though Amari might join in as the secondary guitarist). He’s hailed as one of the best guitarists of all time, and he plays a major role in the musical arrangements of the songs. He’s also a prodigy when it comes to the violin, which he’ll sometimes use instead of his guitar for a more ‘symphonic’ sound. In reality, he’ll switch between them as he sees fit. 

Odagiri is the reliable bass guitar; underrated, but without them, the song just isn’t the same. As the bass player, he helps to balance out the guitars. He plays the cello when they want a jazzier theme or an orchestra kind of sound, and when they go the traditional route, in comes the harp. When the boys want to sing an acoustic version of their songs to show off their vocals, Odagiri will be the one to play the acoustic guitar to accompany them.

Amari is the secondary guitarist, and arguably the most versatile player in the band. He can not only play the electric guitar, but he can also play the trumpet and the saxophone. Their jazz songs would require them to be in the same song, but he can switch between the two easily enough, provided he’s given enough time to transition (otherwise he’ll simply use a pre-recording of one while playing the other live.) When a song requires both violin and guitar, Amari will take the role of the lead guitar while Fukumoto plays violin.

(The instruments mentioned are their main ones, though I’m sure they could all play more if they wanted to. I just don’t have the brain cells to spare for this lol. Maybe some other time I can give more thought to the band, but I’m ok with what I have for now. Besides, most metal bands will have 1 person per instrument or will bring in a whole orchestra, so what I have is farfetched ngl, and yet I like it because the D-Agency boys are just so talented at anything they try hehe)

OTHERS:

As stated earlier, Yuuki would be their manager. He is known to all as just “Yuuki.” He is the one who brought the group together, as the trio were originally part of an idol group but were mostly in the back, while the others were notable musicians who had no band to belong to. In his prime, he was an acclaimed songwriter and producer, but he’s also super happy doing what he does as a manager/producer for the 160cm trio and the band. He fought tooth and nail for the formation of this group and is more than satisfied with their explosive popularity. He will often clash with the CEO of their label, IG Productions, because he refuses to let them hold back the band’s growth. 

Now, y’all may be wondering… where is Sakuma??? 

Sakuma, Gamo Jirou, Yuriko Nogami, and Miyoko Yasuhara are all well-respected actors under the same agency (not IG but another one lol.) 

Yuriko and Miyoko are mostly in theatre, but Yuriko is a recurring favorite in J-dramas while Miyoko is popular in movies. 

Jirou is super versatile, and he’d be kinda like Robert Pattinson in the sense that he will often make fun of the stuff he’s been in. He likes to take on bizarre roles that test his limits as an actor, and his range is pretty much unmatched. He’s recognizable but people will still lose themselves in his brilliant acting. He is more often seen in movies, but sometimes he’ll star in a drama, especially one where he plays a villain/antagonist or a second-lead.

Sakuma is another J-drama favorite, and he has a legion of fangirls; as of late, those fangirls include aunties who love his clean and respectable image. He made headlines once when he shaved his head for a role as a soldier because it was such a shock that he looked as handsome as ever. He loves being in movies with a lot of angst/sad endings, and don’t get me started on how sad some of the dramas he’s in can be. And as a bonus, his characters almost always die and oof it really breaks people’s hearts. Occasionally, he’ll take on a more light-hearted role such as a friendly teacher. 

Sakuma and Gamo are both openly gay, and many fangirls will wish for them to find boyfriends because they want these actors to be happy. They have starred in movies together and their friendship off-screen can be considered ‘iconic.’ Fans ship them platonically. 

Sakuma would also be a major fanboy of the D-Agency band, and Miyoshi is easily his favorite member. He attends their concerts in disguise because he has a reputation, damn it. One time he dragged his actor friends along, and Gamo fell for Jitsui HARD. Meanwhile, Yuriko eventually starts a romance with the bassist, Odagiri, when she wanders backstage by accident on her way to the restroom. (Sakuma is jealous as fuck that she managed to get backstage but he won’t admit it.)

Alain, Marie, Jean, and Johann are all foreign celebrities, who are all wildly popular in Japan. Marie would be a popular actress who travels to Japan to participate in a film (directed by Jean, a highly-respected director) that takes place there. It’d be a collaboration project between a French studio and a Japanese one. Alain would be a famous pop artist in France, and his songs can be meaningful and uplifting or super raunchy and inappropriate as hell, no in-between. He goes to Japan because he’s interested in their newest idol/heavy metal fusion group. Johann is a talented lyricist/producer and he prefers to write songs for other people and avoid the drama that comes with being a celebrity. Alain drags him to Japan because why not?

END:

Back to the band, their debut song would be ‘Reason Triangle’. ‘Double’ would be for a J-drama collab in which Sakuma finally gets to meet his favorite group (???) idk but their discography would also include songs like:

Taking Off - ONE OK ROCK

Fukagyaku Replace - My First Story

Take Off - 2PM

Cosmic Railway - EXO

CORE PRIDE - UVERworld

Signal- TK from Ling tosite sigure

FEED THE FIRE - coldrain

Kyouran Hey Kids!! - THE ORAL CIGARETTES

And that’s all I can think of for this AU. I can’t believe I wrote so much but this idea just wouldn’t leave my head so I had to write it all down. I hope y’all enjoy my ramblings lol. 

[rocknroll105]

Lecture 18: British Heavy Metal band Judas Priest, originally founded in West Bromwich, a borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England, soared to the dizzying heights of success once vocalist Rob Halford joined the band in 1973. This song, “Living After Midnight,” turned up on the band’s 1980 album British Steel. Priest would go on to have a number of successful albums throughout the 1980s and in 1990, with the album Painkiller. Lead singer Halford -- who left the band in 1992 and later returned to it in 2003 -- came out in a 1998 MTV interview as openly gay, a courageous move in the world of Heavy Metal. Today, Priest is remembered as being one of the greatest bands of the heyday of Metal, with a lineup of musicians that elevated their music high above their competitors in the genre.

[rockandrollhistory105]

Lecture 18: British Heavy Metal band Judas Priest, originally founded in West Bromwich, a borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England, soared to the dizzying heights of success once vocalist Rob Halford joined the band in 1973. This song, “Living After Midnight,” turned up on the band’s 1980 album British Steel. Priest would go on to have a number of successful albums throughout the 1980s and in 1990, with the album Painkiller. Lead singer Halford – who left the band in 1992 and later returned to it in 2003 – came out in a 1998 MTV interview as openly gay, a courageous move in the world of Heavy Metal. Today, Priest is remembered as being one of the greatest bands of the heyday of Metal, with a lineup of musicians that elevated their music high above their competitors in the genre.

[classicrockblog1]

Rob Halford (born 25 August 1951) #lead #vocalist for the #heavy #metal #band Judas Priest and famed for his powerful wide ranging operatic voice. AllMusic says of Halford: “There have been few vocalists in the history of heavy metal whose singing style has been as influential and instantly recognizable”, possessing a voice which is “able to effortlessly alternate between a throaty growl and an ear-splitting falsetto”.[1]

Halford was voted number 33 in the greatest voices in rock by Planet Rock listeners in 2009.[2] In addition to his work with Judas Priest, he has been involved with several side projects, including Fight, 2wo and Halford. In 1998, he came out as gay in an interview with MTV news making him the first openly gay singer in heavy metal music.

[classicrockblog1]

Rob Halford (born 25 August 1951) is an English #singer #songwriter, who is best known as the #lead #vocalist for the #heavy #metal #band Judas Priest. He is considered one of the most consistently powerful singers in rock,[1]possessing a wide vocal range, and is particularly known for his trademark high-pitched, operatic, soaring screams. His vocal range currently spans nearly four octaves.  In addition to his work with Judas Priest, he has been involved with several side projects, including Fight, 2wo and Halford. He is credited as the first openly gay heavy metal musician, having come out in 1998.

Judas Priest - (por JudasPriestVEVO)