Stepping in front of a microphone with Black Sabbath is no small task. Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford experienced this challenge firsthand.

The first instance occurred during the revived Ronnie James Dio era in the early ’90s when Black Sabbath opened two special California dates on Ozzy Osbourne’s No More Tours farewell run. When Dio declined to perform, Halford stepped in. He would later receive a similar call under different circumstances — this time during the Camden, New Jersey stop of 2004’s OzzFest. The Metal God bravely took the microphone again, with only hours of notice, to substitute for the Prince of Darkness, who had come down with bronchitis.

In a recent conversation with UCR, which you can listen to below, Halford reflected on those moments and shared plans for Judas Priest’s fall tour with Alice Cooper and Corrosion of Conformity. The 35th anniversary of Painkiller is part of the tour, an album that still amazes him. “It’s become a much blessed and revered album,” he shares. “Not only for Priest but for metal in general.”

Heavy metal’s self-described Perry Como (a deep cut reference) had much to discuss, so let’s begin…

Rob’s Experiences With Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath

We’ve been mourning the recent loss of Ozzy Osbourne. You had the chance to step in and play with Black Sabbath a few times. How did you prepare for those gigs?
[For the gigs filling in for] Ronnie, we were able to prepare because Tony [Iommi], Geezer [Butler] and Bill [Ward] were on tour and came through Phoenix. We actually jammed somewhere here in the valley. [So] we prepared for that one. I found out recently that Ozzy was on the side banging his head while we were working. I didn’t know about that, but a close friend said, “Yeah, I was standing by Ozzy while he was giving everybody the thumbs up.” The other time [at OzzFest 2004] in New Jersey was really spontaneous. I’m in my hotel room in Philadelphia when Sharon [Osbourne] calls me up and says, “Robbie, can you help us out? Ozzy’s lost his voice.” I responded, “Yeah, what do you want me to do?” “Can you sing for him?” I said, “Yeah, anytime.” She replied, “Tonight.” I exclaimed, “Tonight?“

We were together, Priest and Sabbath, on that tour. So I’m like, “Oh my God!” She said, “Oh, you know all of the Sabbath songs!” I replied, “I do, but talk about short notice!” I asked her if she could courier the last couple of shows on VHS [tape] so I could check them out on the way to the venue. On the drive from my hotel in Philly to the venue in the back lounge of the bus, I just sang along with the show. That was my only prep. Of course, I did the Priest show and then immediately changed my shirt and went out to perform with Sabbath.

There’s such a long history between the two groups; you’re both Birmingham bands. What did you discover about Sabbath structurally from a musical perspective compared to your own band stepping into that catalog of songs?
I think more than anything, there’s a simplicity to Sabbath’s music; not all of it, but the vast majority is easy to connect with. Nothing clashes; a lot of music today layers upon layers where everyone fights to be heard. You put those first couple of Sabbath albums on and can distinctly hear every nuance from each performer. If Bill hadn’t played those particular drum patterns…

READ MORE: Black Sabbath Albums Ranked

We did an homage to “War Pigs,” and Scott [Travis] doesn’t play drums like that. He had to learn to play like Bill because he wanted to honor [him] as a drummer. What I’m trying to say is that Bill’s drumming is unique; Geezer’s bass playing is unique; Tony’s guitar playing is unique. It’s that uniqueness in structure and musicianship that makes Sabbath an incredibly one-of-a-kind musical experience. I still listen to Sabbath today to ensure I don’t stray too far from the mark. With all our Priest albums becoming adventurous, we still maintain simplicity and hooks.

Watch Rob Halford Perform With Black Sabbath in 1992

What did you appreciate about Ozzy as a fellow singer?
His voice is unique; much like I’ve mentioned regarding the other guys in Sabbath. It’s that one-of-a-kind voice. The performance aspect — all singers strive for something recognizable in their own way as artists. Ozzy never wavered from that consistency. If you listen closely to how Ozzy sang on the Sabbath albums compared to his solo work, there isn’t much movement; there’s just a little extra texture from studio work but it’s still unmistakably Ozzy.

READ MORE: Ozzy Osbourne Albums Ranked

What I loved about Ozzy was his lack of overthinking things. I’m often guilty of overthinking myself; I keep trying to remind myself to calm down and keep it simple. But that’s just my nature [Halford chuckles]. With Ozzy, it’s like this conscious stream; somewhat similar to Ronnie.

For sure.
There’s no second-guessing; he just lets it flow naturally. You can sense that purity and honesty in his performance as a singer that’s always appealed to me.

Looking Back at Judas Priest’s ‘Nostradamus’ and ‘Turbo’ Albums

I think we’re all excited about the fall tour dates with Alice Cooper and Corrosion of Conformity; it feels like a mini traveling festival. The COC guys just shared they finished a new record that’s going to be a double album. You guys made a double record with Nostradamus and almost pursued a similar route with Twin Turbos before it became Turbo. How does it feel working on something like that?
With Nostradamus, having a plot and substance from a lyrical standpoint made it straightforward for me as a lyricist; once I knew we were writing songs about him, I began programming messages through his life based on my knowledge as a Nostradamus fan. I discussed this with Ken [K.K. Downing] and Glenn [Tipton] regarding how I’d incorporate these messages into songs which inspired different musical arrangements and textures [for each song]. So it was as straightforward as possible.

With Twin Turbos, we secluded ourselves in southern Spain renting a villa where Glenn experimented with new instrumentation techniques that led to what we call Turbo sounds; he would pluck strings while pressing pedals saying things like “Wow! That’s great! Let’s write a song around how this chord makes us feel.” In ’86 for me…

It was a rough year….
It was tough but creatively fulfilling; we were all in such a good place during that monumental decade for music across genres. It’s often two extremes for any band — either creativity flows or droughts occur where you find yourself searching for inspiration.

READ MORE: The Story of Judas Priest’s ‘Turbo’

We understood our love for radio while making that record aiming for two or three songs that could resonate well within that framework at radio stations during hair metal days when there was significant movement happening musically; we didn’t want to be left behind but wanted our sound within that context.

To that end, there’s common ground among you, Alice Cooper, and COC. What do you appreciate about this particular touring package?
I believe it’s an excellent representation of road warriors; collectively these bands have been through so much together over time bringing survivability into play along with sobriety from Alice’s perspective as well as mine since we’ve both been sober for quite some time now which adds joy into our performances while still reaching audiences meaningfully.

Listen to Rob Halford on the ‘UCR Podcast’

Even though I strut out on stage like Perry Como, one must genuinely want it when stepping onto stage; there’s no faking it because audiences are eager for authenticity expecting nothing less than their best experience possible which requires determination along with resilience representing what Priest embodies alongside Alice Cooper and COC during our performances together making it an event worth witnessing.

The Legacy of Judas Priest’s ‘Painkiller’ Album

This year marks 35 years since Painkiller. Will this be part of your fall tour or will adjustments need made due to package constraints?
Everyone wants an earful of Painkiller. We’ve taken it across Europe and South America already so it’d be remiss not sharing this experience with our Priest fans everywhere! It’s fantastic how our show opens with “All Guns Blazing” — such an iconic song setting up our night followed by other material showcasing how Painkiller, revered not just by us but throughout metal history remains significant among albums like British Steel or Screaming For Vengeance!

Watch Judas Priest Perform ‘All Guns Blazing’ at Hellfest 2025

The double drums on the title track surprised many listeners who still react strongly upon hearing it!
What other album begins like this?

Exactly!
We were thrilled having Mr. [Scott] Travis on drums during his first performance with us since joining.

He certainly made an impression which was our intention at that time.
I wish I could recall specifics; my memory suggests Glenn had riffs along with vocal structures ready before someone asked Scott how he’d start this song? When I see him next I’ll ask him about how he conceived such an intro because every time we introduce Painkiller starting off with his drum pattern creates electrifying energy!