Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford spoke about the health battle that helped him embrace his own mortality.
Halford shocked fans when he confirmed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer amid the COVID-19 pandemic two years after he first started noticing the early symptoms in 2017. He soon underwent prostatectomy surgery to remove the cancerous part before starting his treatment.
In an interview with Metal Hammer, the musician opened up about what he felt when he was diagnosed with the dreaded illness and whether he felt afraid of his potential demise.
According to Halford, he thought about his mortality for weeks prior to the interview and explained how he coped with his own mortality.
"I'm 72 this year, and you realize quickly that 72 isn't that far from 80, especially when so much of our world revolves around three-year cycles that come up around albums," he said. "So honestly, I've only got a couple of those cycles left. You really have to think about how you can cope with that reality."
Halford went on to declare that he has never been afraid of death nor it bothers him. Instead, he gives himself peace to be able to do the things he loves as they make them want to live forever.
Rob Halford's Health Issue: Judas Priest Singer Diagnosis Revealed
In the past years since his diagnosis, Halford has been open about his battle during his interviews. For instance, he spoke with Heavy Consequence about discovering his health issue while the world was facing the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also shared his story in the additional chapter of his book, "Confess," which was released in 2020. Halford revealed through the material that he went through a draining year when he had to undergo radiation treatment.
The Judas Priest singer then appeared on a July 2022 episode of the "Prostate Cancer Uncensored" podcast, during which Twisted Sister guitarist, Jay Jay French - who also survived prostate cancer - asked him about his diagnosis.
At that time, Halford recalled having his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels reaching an abnormal count before considering a checkup with his doctor. Soon after getting his blood tests, he was referred to a specialist who soon gave him the diagnosis.
Apart from his cancer, a tumor was also spotted on his appendix that led him to receive an appendectomy.
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