Biography All Music Guide Wikipedia
All Music Guide:
Throughout heavy metal's history, there have been few times where a fan was lucky enough to land a spot with their favorite band due to a vacancy, such as Jason Newsted joining Metallica, and Tim "Ripper" Owens signing on with Judas Priest. Hailing from Akron, OH, Owens grew up a major metal fan -- fronting a Judas Priest cover band (called British Steel) and getting his nickname, Ripper, from the title of his favorite Priest song. Owens also fronted other local groups as well (including Brainicide, U.S. Metal, Winters Bane, and Seattle), as he developed a multi-octave vocal range, just like his hero, Rob Halford. It was during this time that Owens and Winters Bane guitarist Lou St. Paul penned a concept album together, Heart of a Killer, which told the story of a murderer who gets a heart transplant from the same judge who sentenced him to the death penalty. Recorded in Germany over a period of only two weeks, the album was originally issued on a small independent record label in Germany as well.
One night, Owens and British Steel were playing at a small club in Erie, PA, when the girlfriend of Priest drummer Scott Travis happened to catch the performance. She was so impressed with Owens that she videotaped the show and forwarded it to Travis and his fellow Priest bandmates, who had been on hiatus for several years by this point (after longtime frontman Halford left the group in 1992). Priest was so impressed with Owens' vocal skills that an audition was set up in England just a few short days later, and after only singing the first verse of the Priest classic "Victim of Changes," he landed the gig. 1997 saw the release of Jugulator, which doubled as Priest's long-awaited comeback album (they hadn't issued a new studio release since 1990) and, of course, Owens' debut with the group. The album performed respectfully on the charts, as did its ensuing world tour, which was documented a year later with the release '98 Live Meltdown.
Attempting to cash in on Owens' high-profile gig, the Century Media label reissued the old Winters Bane release, Heart of a Killer, complete with extra live and demo bonus tracks in 2000. Also around the same time, a movie was being made based on Owens' rise from obscurity to fronting his favorite band, and although Priest was originally involved in the project, they eventually bowed out. The film, 2001's Rock Star, was made anyway, with actor Mark Wahlberg playing the role of a singer based on Owens. The same year, Judas Priest issued their second studio album with Owens, Demolition.
Wikipedia:
Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens (born on September 13, 1967 in Akron, Ohio) is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with Beyond Fear, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force and Charred Walls of the Damned. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest, and then Iced Earth. He took the nickname "Ripper" from the Judas Priest song "The Ripper" during his time in the tribute band "British Steel". Owens is also known for his powerful voice and wide vocal range.
History
Prior to joining Judas Priest in 1996, Owens was frontman of a heavy metal band called Brainicide. Later he was in Winter's Bane, with whom he recorded an album called Heart of a Killer in 1993. He also was the frontman of Judas Priest and Pink Floyd tribute band British Steel, named after the Judas Priest album. The original band "Wintersbane" and the cover band "British Steel" were actually one and the same, member-wise. The band would open their shows as Wintersbane in order to introduce the audience to their original material, (cassettes, cds and t-shirts would be available at the merchandise table or booth which sold products promoting both of the bands.) After finishing their original set, they would then take a break, which included a wardrobe change, to emulate the subject of their tribute, Judas Priest.
The young Ohio salesman and tribute band frontman made headlines in 1996 when he went from being a fan of the British metal act Judas Priest to being their lead singer, filling the shoes of Rob Halford (and, by doing so, inspiring the movie Rock Star, which was later disavowed by the band). Despite numerous rumours that Halford would reunite with Priest, Owens recorded two studio albums with his childhood heroes, as well as two live albums and a 2002 DVD release. Owens even helped write one Judas Priest song, "What's My Name?", which was a bonus track on Demolition. With Judas Priest, he was nominated once for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1999, with the song called "Bullet Train" from the album named Jugulator, but lost to Metallica's Better than You.
Judas Priest reunited with Rob Halford in 2003. That same year Matt Barlow, the vocalist for Iced Earth, quit the band and Owens became their new lead singer. Iced Earth's first album with Owens, The Glorious Burden, came out in early 2004. While singing with Judas Priest, Owens had toured with Iced Earth (and Anthrax) in 2001, but the tour was cut short.
Recently, Owens reunited with his former Winter's Bane colleague Dennis Hayes in a band called Beyond Fear. The self-titled debut album from this new band was released in May 2006. Hayes would join Iced Earth as well in 2007 after bassist James "Bo" Wallace left due to family health issues.
On December 11, 2007, Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer announced that Tim Owens would be leaving the band as Matt Barlow had been invited to return to the line-up after heavy feedback from fans.
On February 26, 2008, it was announced that Tim Owens is now the new lead singer for Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, replacing Doogie White.
On February 19, 2009, Owens revealed that his first solo album, Play My Game, would be out in May. The album features many prominent metal musicians.
Owens now fronts a new project called Charred Walls of the Damned, a new band band founded in 2009 by Richard Christy, the former drummer for Iced Earth and Death[1] and radio personality on The Howard Stern Show. The band features Christy on drums, and Owens on vocals along with Steve DiGiorgio (bass guitar) and Jason Suecof (lead guitar). The band's debut album, also titled Charred Walls of the Damned, is set for release on February 2, 2010 on Metal Blade Records.
Ripper is also a member of a cover band called "HAIL!". HAIL!'s rotating cast of members include Owens, Andreas Kisser, Paul Bostaph, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Jimmy DeGrasso and Roy Mayorga. Ripper, DeGrasso, Ellefson and Kisser formed the band in late 2008. The band toured Europe in 2009 and in June 2010. The band also came together to perform at a benefit for Deftones bassist Chi Cheng in 2010. That line-up consisted of Ripper Owens, Mike Portnoy, Mark Anthony of The Letter Black, Phil Demmel of Machine Head and David Ellefson. HAIL! is on their second European tour with the following line-up: Andreas Kisser, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Paul Bostaph and James LoMenzo. Due to the tragic passing of previously announced bassist Paul Gray, LoMenzo agreed on only one day’s notice to fly to Portugal and rescue the Rock In Rio Festival where HAIL! was scheduled to perform on May 30, 2010. In early 2011 Ripper also joined forces with Dio Disciples, which features latest Dio members, first ever tour in US will take place in September 2011.
Other projects
Owens owns "Ripper Owens Tap House", a sports-themed bar, restaurant and entertainment venue, in his hometown of Akron.