Chris Holmes says Judas Priest's Rob Halford supported him after his cancer diagnosis
Holmes was diagnosed with neck and throat cancer in 2022
W.A.S.P co-founder and former guitarist Chris Holmes has told Planet Rock that one of the first people to send him a message of support when he was diagnosed with cancer last year was Judas Priest legend Rob Halford.
Chris Holmes was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer in February 2022, and he immediately postponed his upcoming touring commitments while he received treatment. Five months later, he shared the good news with fans that his cancer “was gone.”
Appearing on Planet Rock’s My Planet Rocks this week, Holmes said that Rob Halford reached out to him upon hearing about his diagnosis.
Rob Halford privately battled prostate cancer during lockdown and underwent successful prostatectomy surgery on 5th July 2021.
Holmes told Planet Rock’s Liz Barnes: “Last year when I first got sick, there was a lot of people that sent me some stuff, video chats.
“There’s this one that goes like this, he goes ‘CHRIS! This is your Metal God, Rob!’, and it was Rob Halford. He went through (prostate) cancer, and he was telling me you got to go through the radiation (therapy), you’ll be fine. It was cool, he sent me a video thing.”
Holmes continued: “What’s really sad is what’s happened to (Glenn) Tipton, he’s got Parkinson’s disease and can’t play (full time) anymore. I couldn’t imagine that.
“At least I’ve been sick and I’ve been cured for what I have and I can still play but I couldn’t imagine (not playing). I’ve seen him on some videos coming out and playing a song or two... Whatever the disease does to his muscles and stuff, I really feel sorry for the guy. You can tell he wants to play and he can’t.”
You can listen back to Chris Holmes’ My Planet Rocks episode below where he also picks tunes by Johnny Winter, Steppenwolf, The Rolling Stones, Montrose, Neil Young and Queen.
The show is also repeated on air tonight (5th April) from 9pm.
Celebrating his 65th birthday, Chris Holmes visits the UK in June 2023 for The 65 Tour. Head to Planet Rock Tickets to check ticket availability.
See Chris Holmes at the following shows:
JUNE 2023
Newport The Patriot – Fri 16th
Buckley Tivoli – Sat 17th
Edinburgh Bannerman’s – Sun 18th
Newcastle Trillian’s – Thu 22nd
Northampton The Black Prince – Fri 23rd (Chris’ 65th birthday show)
London Boston Music Room – Sat 24th
Blackpool Waterloo Music Bar – Sun 25th
18 rock bands named after songs by other bands:
Judas Priest
British heavy metal legends Judas Priest took inspiration for their brilliant name from the Bob Dylan song 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' from his 1967 album 'John Wesley Harding.' The moniker was the idea of early Judas Priest bassist Brian 'Bruno' Stapenhill who exited the band in 1970 before they had laid down any recordings.
Deep Purple
Initially called Roundabout, the rock legends initially toyed with band names including Orpheus, Concrete God and Sugarlump but eventually settled on Deep Purple; taken from the 1933 Peter DeRose piano composition. The song was a huge favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother and she would often perform it on piano throughout Ritchie's childhood.
Mr Big
In 1988, Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and the late-great Pat Torpey named their new band after the Free song 'Mr. Big', which appeared on their breakthrough 1970 album 'Fire and Water'. Mr. Big later covered 'Mr. Big' on their third studio album 'Bump Ahead' in 1993.
Motörhead
After being dismissed from Hawkwind in 1975 following an arrest for drug possession in Canada, Lemmy started his own self-professed "fast and vicious" band and took the name Motörhead from the final song he had penned for Hawkwind just a few months earlier, 'Motorhead'. Two years later, Motörhead re-recorded 'Motorhead' as the opening track on their eponymous debut album.
Poison
Originally called Paris upon their formation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett wisely ditched their tame sounding band name in favour of 'Poison'; a nod to the 1981 track 'Poison' by glam metallers 'Sinner'.
Nazareth
The Scottish hard rock veterans were called the Shadettes upon their formation in the late 1960s but were unhappy with what they perceived to be a 'lightweight' name. They decided to hit a boozer to discuss a new name when 'The Weight' by The Band started playing through the bar's soundsystem. Upon hearing the opening line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead", bassist Pete Agnew suggested 'Nazareth' and the band agreed. The rest, they say, is history.
Volbeat
Danish rockers Volbeat took their name from the 1997 studio album 'Vol.Beat' by singer Michael Poulsen's previous band, the death metal act Dominus.
The Rolling Stones
Founder and original band leader Brian Jones gave The Rolling Stones their moniker after the 1950 Muddy Waters track 'Rollin' Stone'. The fledgling group played their first show as The Rolling Stones on 12th July 1962, at the famous Marquee Club in London.
Sepultura
The idea of former guitarist, singer and co-founding band member Max Cavalera, the Brazilian metallers called themselves Sepultura, which is the Portuguese word for "grave". Max took inspiration from one of his favourite songs, Motörhead's 'Dancing On Your Grave.'
Radiohead
Founded in Oxford in mid-1980s, Radiohead were originally called On A Friday in reference to their music rehearsal day at Abingdon School. When they signed a six-album deal with EMI in 1991, the imprint implored them to change their name and they ultimately took their band name from the song 'Radio Head' from Talking Heads' 1986 album 'True Stories'.
Bad Brains
Washington DC punks Bad Brains named themselves after the Ramones track 'Bad Brain', which appears on their 1978 album 'Road To Ruin'.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta's stage name is derived from the Queen classic 'Radio Ga Ga'. Producer Rob Fusari claims to have been the person who coined 'Lady Gaga' in the mid-noughties when they worked together.
At The Drive-In
Influential post-hardcore noisemakers At The Drive-In got their moniker from a line in Poison's 1987 single 'Talk Dirty To Me' – "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in / In the old man's ford / Behind the bushes / Till I'm screamin' for more." The name was guitartist Jim Ward's suggestion shortly after the band former in 1993.
Seether
Formed in South Africa in 1999 as Saron Gas, the band ditched the name as their US label Wind-up Records noted its similarity to the toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound, sarin gas. Ultimately they settled on Seether after the 1994 Veruca Salt single 'Seether'.
The Sisters of Mercy
When they formed 40 years ago in Leeds, the gothic rockers took their name from the Leonard Cohen track 'Sisters of Mercy' from his seminal 1967 album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.' The Sisters of Mercy took inspiration from Robert Altman's 1971 movie McCabe & Mrs Miller thats' soundtracked by three Leonard Cohen songs.
Stiff Little Fingers
Previously called Highway Star and The Fast, the Belfast punks eventually decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers after the 1977 Vibrators song of the same name.
Overkill
Wisely abandoning the prospective band name Virgin Killer (a nod to the Scorpions), New Jersey thrash metallers Overkill ultimately honoured their other musical heroes Motörhead by naming themselves after the trio's 1979 album 'Overkill' and the single of the same name.
Panic! at the Disco
Although many people erroneously think that Panic! at the Disco are named after The Smiths' song 'Panic' and its chorus of "burn down the disco", former band leader Brendon Urie has said in multiple interviews that they take their name from a track also called 'Panic' by Californian emo band Name Taken. The song's lyrics read: "Panic at the disco/Sat back and took it so slow/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?".