Along with his career in Judas Priest, Rob Halford’s personal and love life drew attention through the years. Though the singer never kept his long-term relationship with husband Thomas Pence’s a secret since he came out, there’s little we know about him.
Here’s the bit of info Halford was willing to share about his partner and sexuality so far.
Halford’s Coming Out
The Judas Priest vocalist came out during an MTV interview in 1998, shortly after their thirteenth album, ‘Jugulator,’ arrived, though he knew he was gay since 10. Halford explained in his autobiography ‘Confess’ that his sexuality remained a secret for years because of societal pressure and the culture of the metal scene.
Homosexuality was illegal in the UK until 1967, which added to the singer’s struggles. Despite their support, even his bandmates and management advised him to keep his sexuality private.
When he finally came out, Halford told SiriusXM, he felt happy and calm. Looking back, he said he enjoyed the moment even though he didn’t fully understand its significance.
Romance With An Ex-Marine
Rob Halford’s relationship with Thomas Pence began three years before the confession. The two met thanks to an ad the ex-Marine looking for company put up.
The frontman said they connected quickly, but he didn’t find out about his husband’s military background until later. He told Fugues that Pence rarely talked about his Marine life. Not that Halford wasn’t already familiar with it, though.
The Judas Priest singer had relationships with Marines in his youth. “For a gay guy, Pendleton was an Aladdin’s Cave,” he wrote in his autobiography. “There were just so many amazing male specimens there: young, buff guys at the height of their physical powers! With my thing for men in uniform, my eyes were on stalks.”
Before his relationship with Pence, Halford had affairs with a leatherneck named Hank, who later introduced him to another married Marine named Steve.
The Couple’s Dynamic
Since their romance went public, Halford talked about his lover during some interviews and shared photos with him from time to time. While talking about their dynamic in a chat with GQ, he shared, “Thomas and I have been together about 1,000 years, but here’s a simple equation: He does the cooking, and I do the dishes. It’s as simple as that.”
The 73-year-old singer mentioned wanting to raise kids with his partner a few years ago in a chat with Esquire, noting he’d be a good father. But he also said it wasn’t likely to happen due to his age.
