Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens (born September 13, 1967) is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with KK's Priest, Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and "The Tim Ripper Monster Energy Big Band". He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest and then Iced Earth.[13] He took the nickname "Ripper" from the Judas Priest song "The Ripper" during his time in the tribute band British Steel. Like his predecessor in Judas Priest, Owens has been noted for his powerful and wide ranging operatic vocal style.[13]
Owens began his musical career as the singer for Brainicide, a thrash metal band based in his home town of Akron, Ohio that had also been known as Dammage, Inc. He recorded 3 demo tapes with them before the band split in 1989.[17] Prior to joining Judas Priest in 1996, Owens fronted a band called Winter's Bane, with whom he recorded an album called Heart of a Killer in 1993.[18] The band also featured as the Judas Priest tribute band British Steel.[19][20]
Judas Priest
Owens (center) with Judas Priest in 2002
Owens made headlines in 1996 when he was recruited by Judas Priest to being their lead singer, replacing Rob Halford.[20] Owens recorded two studio albums with the band and also featured on two live albums and a DVD release.[13] He also co-wrote the song, "What's My Name?", which was a bonus track on Demolition.[21] With Judas Priest, he was nominated once for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1999, with the song "Bullet Train" from the album Jugulator.[22]
Rock Star
The movie Rock Star (2001), about a tribute band singer who is asked to join the band he has tried to imitate, was loosely based on Owens' career. Judas Priest disavowed the movie after they were denied creative control in the screenplay and script.[23] Owens said of the movie, "They fabricated things and decided to pull away from my story and make their own because I guess mine was too normal. There's no telling what they put in there. If I could sue, I would."[23]
Iced Earth and Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force
Judas Priest reunited with Rob Halford in 2003. Owens joined Iced Earth in the same year and their first album with Owens, The Glorious Burden, came out in early 2004.[24] In 2006, Owens also reunited with his former Winter's Bane colleague Dennis Hayes in a band called Beyond Fear. The self-titled debut album from his new band was released in May of that year.[25] Hayes would join Iced Earth as well in 2007 after bassist James "Bo" Wallace left due to family health issues. Owens' stay in Iced Earth ended in December 2007, when guitarist Jon Schaffer announced that Owens would be leaving the band.[24][26]
On February 26, 2008, it was announced that Owens would be the new lead singer for Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, replacing Doogie White. Owens quit Malmsteen's band in 2012, saying there were conflicts in show dates between his solo band and Yngwie's touring, but that he would be open to the possibility of working with him again.[27]
In May 2009, Owens released his first solo album, Play My Game.[28] The album featured, among others, David Ellefson, Simon Wright and Bruce Kulick.[29] A European tour followed in 2010, accompanied by musicians Anders Buaas (guitar), Jon Vegard Naess (guitar), Are Gogstad (bass), and Henrik "Rick" Hagan (drums).
Charred Walls of the Damned, HAIL! and Dio Disciples
Owens owned "Ripper's Rock House", a sports eatery, restaurant and entertainment venue in Akron, Ohio.[38][39] In August 2015, Bar Rescue filmed and transformed the bar into "Tim Owens' Traveler's Tavern".[40] The venue closed permanently in September 2016.[41]
He was also the owner of "Ripper Owens Tap House", the predecessor to "Ripper's Rock House", in Akron's Firestone Park neighborhood.[42]
In 2015, Owens recorded music for the fictional band Witches' Lips for the heavy metal horror film Hairmetal Shotgun Zombie Massacre: The Movie. He recorded and wrote the lyrics with guitarist Marzi Montazeri of Philip H. Anselmo and The Illegals.[citation needed]
Ted Kirkpatrick, drummer and songwriter for the Christian metal band Tourniquet, announced on July 25, 2018, that Owens would be doing lead vocals for all the songs (except the title track "Gazing at Medusa") on their next album. The album, Gazing at Medusa, was released on October 16, 2018.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Owens was part of a Grunge themed tribute band called Seattle, playing covers of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and other Grunge bands of the era.
In December 2022, Owens released a solo album under the name 'Ripper', titled Return to Death Row.[43]
In 2024, Owens once again sang on Leviathan Project's album, MCMLXXXII, which also featured Vinny Appice on drums, Bobby Koelble (Death) on lead guitar and Tommy Kay (Britny Fox) on guitar.[44]
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