Steven Patrick of Uweekly.com recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST/HALFORD frontman Rob Halford. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Uweekly.com: Pat Lachman, he was one of your guitarists in HALFORD, who went on to front the band DAMAGEPLAN. This being a Columbus, Ohio, paper and the Dimebag tragedy still fresh in our memory, I’m sure metal fans in the area would like to know how he’s doing and what he’s up to. Do you stay in contact with him?

Halford: I’ll be seeing Pat soon. I think he’s living in Dallas now. I got an e-mail from him the other day and I hope to be seeing him in the next couple of weeks. I don’t really know what he’s doing musically, but when I see him I’ll be asking him obviously. He’s an incredibly talented guitar player, but a great voice as well. I certainly hope he’s still working. He’s got everything that he needs to be a great metal musician.

Uweekly.com: I wouldn’t be able to call myself a metal fan if I didn’t ask about the news that JUDAS PRIEST will be doing a farewell tour in 2011. What brought that on? Was it just time?

Halford: Yeah, I think it’s time, you know. We’re not the first band to say farewell, it’s just the way everyone comes to at some point and we’re gonna say a few more things early next year, so I think the main thing that we just want to ask everybody to consider is don’t be sad about this, start celebrating and rejoicing over all the great things we’ve done in JUDAS PRIEST.

Uweekly.com: Does this news mean that HALFORD will be getting more of your attention in the future?

Halford: Yeah, I’ve always said regardless of anything else that’s going on when time permits and when there’s no conflict with PRIEST, I love to do what I do with the HALFORD band, so that really hasn’t changed at all.

Read the entire interview at Uweekly.com.

Source: www.blabbermouth.net