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Rolling Stone’s interview series King for a Day features long conversations between senior Andy Greene and singers who had the difficult task of dealing with big rock bands after an iconic singer left. Some of them remained on their teams for years, while others lasted only a few months. In the end, however, everyone discovered that replacement singers can be replaced by themselves. This edition features former Judas Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens.
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When the Mark Wahlberg/Jennifer Aniston film Rock Star opened in theaters in the fall of 2001, filmmakers said it was loosely based on the life of Judas Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens. The key word in this sentence is “vaguely. ” Owens and Wahlberg’s character, Chris “Izzy” Cole, made the miraculous leap from lead singer of a triyete band to leader of the band they were imitating, but the similarities end there.
In Rock Star, Cole joined the fictional steel band Steel Dragon in the middle of an excursion to the arena and faced minimal resistance from enthusiasts. In real life, many Judas Priest enthusiasts were discouraged by the absence of original singer Rob Halford, and the band had to move from stadiums to clubs. The two albums they recorded with Owens (1997’s Juulator and 2001’s Demolition) sold poorly, eventually kicking him out to pave the way for Halford’s return.
But Owens gained unwavering followings during his time at Priest, and enthusiasts stayed with him in his time with Iced Earth, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Charred Walls of the Damned, Three Tremors, and his many solo projects. Most recently, he ended his career by reuniting with former Judas Priest guitarist K. K. Downing in his new band K. K. ‘s Priest.
We called Owens to his home in Green, Ohio, to tell us about his childhood, his tenure at Judas Priest, how it all ended, his life afterward, his exclusion from the priest’s upcoming Hall of Fame induction, and what the future holds. the priest of K. K.
What is your first memory of listening to music that really marked you?It was probably my father’s rock and roll records when I was little. It was Elvis and Dion and Belmont. It had the Bachman-Turner records Overdrive, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones. I was like, “Man, this is great. “
When did you start singing? I was a wonderful choir singer in school and in music class. I started very young. My first music teacher, Mrs. Thompson, was funny. He called my parents in first grade and said, “I just need to tell you that I started betting anything on the piano, and Tim came over and ripped off some notes. I think it was quite surprising.
I enjoyed choir and music classes at that age. In sixth grade, I used to show up in front of elegance every Friday and sing a song. People remind me of it all the time. The music teacher was told a song and I would stand in front of the elegance and sing it.
When did you notice hard rock and heavy steel?Well, Kiss was definitely the beginning. Again, my father listened to Aerosmith and even Bachmann Turner Overdrive. And then I was given reO Speedwagon’s High Infidelity record and my brother Screaming For Vengeance by Judas Priest. I thought, “Wow, look at those guys. They look crazy. Then I listened to “Electric Eye,” the first song, and that. It’s probably from 1983. That’s when I became a steel fan.
That’s when Quiet Riot and many hair steel bands played. Did you like that kind of thing, or did you like old and old things better?Me in all these things, Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister. I started turning to even heavier bands like Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, Death Angel. I didn’t get into the things where they started dressing like women and came out of love ballads. I don’t like that. Now that I’m older, I love him more. But at the time, you had all those bands like Krokus, Helix and Lizzy Borden. It was fun.
These are names of bands I haven’t heard in a long time. That’s wonderful then. My toddlers or even my friend haven’t heard of from the teams I’m communicating about. Now they have their own music. You have to understand that almost 40 years ago. Forty years from now, when they tell their children about the music they are listening to, they will say, “What?”
The fun thing about the hard rock of that era is that, although it went through difficult times in the 90s, they are still there. Everyone keeps spinning. That’s the difference between them and many wonders of success or bands that have a bit of success. It is difficult for them to continue as they age. But with hard rock, it’s different.
When did you realize you could sing like this?The funny thing is that I could sing Rob Halford stuff in the ’80s when I first heard them and knew it had high notes, but maybe I didn’t sing much more. Voices like Maiden, Dio and Anthrax, he may not sing those songs. They had superior herbal voices.
The first two teams I tried after completing high school, I didn’t create them. They were like, “You’re not good. You can’t do that. It’s because each and every song I’ve sung, I’ve sung. “like Brian Johnson in AC/DC. If he sang Scorpions, he sounded like Brian Johnson. They were canopy bands, so you have to sound like the singer. But if he sang AC/DC or Judas Priest, he might.
I had to practice to expand my diversity of vocal talents and get a strong, herbal voice. Then I learned from the beginning that I can sing almost anything. My vocal diversity levels are very heavy Slayer or the first Metallica or Pantera, and I can sing anything sweet. It’s a bit stdiversity.
How hard is it and how hard is herbal skill, you think?The total definitely starts with an herbal skill. Listen, I would like to have skill as a neurosurgeon or professional golfer. Unfortunately, he had to have skill as a singer. [Laughs. ]
If you have an herbal talent, you have to take advantage of it. We all know people with herbal talent, whether it’s writing or whatever, who spoil anything along the way and don’t take it seriously. I took it seriously and tried to improve. I still do.
Along the way, I took a step forward listening to Chris Cornell and what he was doing. I have tried to improve, but without a doubt, it is the herbal skill that started.
I once taught a child how to make a song. I gave him some vocal exercises and some tips. And then I said, “Now come home and listen to Soundgarden’s ‘Outshined. ‘”He sought to sing the high notes. I said, “If you can’t sing this song in a week, then that’s not your style. You can’t do that. You can’t reach the high notes if you don’t have the high notes. “
Tell me about your first band, Brainicide, and how you grew up as a singer at the time. It was a really wonderful moment. We started as a band called Damage Incorporated. We made blankets and then said, “We have to be original. ” We call it Brainicide. It was given heavy with the parts full of jazz. type of jazz band. And I sang normally. I didn’t sing heavy.
it was wonderful I’m still friends with all the guys. It was a wonderful group. Back then, you couldn’t do the recording very well. We went to the studio and I have it recorded. I wish we had the generation we had in those days. Then the guitarist was K. K. Downing’s guitar technician the total time I was in the band. And now he’s the main guy who puts things in combination for the Black Keys, Dan Johnson.
How did you end up in the Judas Priest tribute band, British Steel?I stopped the music a bit. I had a son. And then I joined a band called US Metal. They were like the local equivalent of Judas Priest. They had a handsome singer who sang all this trfinish music. Then I joined the band and us, for example. , the songs of “Painkiller” and King Diamond. All the girlfrifinishs said, “What is this?”
While there, I joined a band called Winter’s Bane. We signed a contract with Massacre Records and went to Germany to record it. It was in 1993. The Steel Dead. No nothing happens. One agent said, “Why don’t you create a Judas Priest tribute band?They are not together. The singer looks like him. You can open up as Winter’s Bane and then you get paid well, instead of receiving $50.
That is what we have done. We only did it for a year. Winter’s Bane has split up. I had a totally new band. We weren’t very good. I wasn’t doing a song very well, so I stopped and joined a tribute band in Seattle.
Did other people in your life tell you to stop going out to make music and focus on a genuine career?No one Array didn’t plan to be a musician. I’m not sure what I would do. in a law firm for five or six years. I became a purchasing agent at a very large law firm. I was employed in the registry and rose through the ranks. I discovered a task in sales. I sold prints and things like that.
Of all the other members of my family, I’ve had the worst career path. There is no doubt about it. I didn’t know what I was going on to do. I don’t forget when Winter’s Bane was signed and I had to tell my story. “Can I move to Germany for 3 weeks? They said, “Absolutamente. Ni you even want to use their vacation days. You can do this without paying. We will give you 3 weeks off. They were very supportive. I went to my father and said, “What do you think I do?He said: ‘Whatever happens, even if you lose your job, move on to Germany and set the record. ‘
My parents are older now and don’t faint much. My mother has MS. But when I was in American metal, my mother used to come and sit with all the fans. They were not drinkers, but they were supportive. All united. I think it’s because it’s not the only thing I do. It wasn’t my career path at the time. I’ve just been lucky.
What did you think of the grunge gangs that killed the steel gangs?In my opinion, I don’t think they killed the steel gangs. I think the steel bands killed the steel bands. He went from songs with bullets and substance to “Every Rose. “It has its thorn. ” I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I say that steel has become quite cliché and that there were so many ballads. I think he killed him.
Pantera and Metallica continued. But pay attention, Soundgarden was more heavy steel at the time than the Maximum Steel bands. It’s just that they wore flannel shirts and not flashy outfits. This is what angered Steel fans. “You can’t do that. You can’t wear shorts and flannel shirts. But when you pay attention to “Outshined” and “Jesus Christ Pose,” Pearl Jam’s first record, Alice in Chains, they were amazing.
I liked it. The idea is smart. It’s crazier than some of the things that came out. I didn’t care. And when I joined Judas Priest, the steel scene was surely horrible. Look, it’s a good time to [join] Judas Priest, but it’s a bad time for other people to settle for it, because other people weren’t betting in the same rooms. Tamaño. Es completely different.
Stepping back a little, how did Judas Priest hear about you?When I was in the Judas Priest tribute band, the penultimate concert we played in Erie, Pennsylvania, at a place called Sherlock’s. These women came along who were our enthusiasts and also knew [Judas Priest drummer] Scott Travis. In fact, Scott played with us one day in Virginia Beach, where he lived, so he knew me. And those women filmed this exhibition and gave the tape to Scott. He took it to Priest and said, “Look at this. “It was in 1996. I won the call in February.
The thing is, we weren’t very smart at the time. I sang well, obviously, that night, but the band wasn’t playing very well. They were not well informed of the songs at the time. So the band called me and said, “Are you doing a song or are you imitating it?Music doesn’t sound smart, but your voice sounds good. I said, “No, no. It’s me. “It was crazy. I’ve just been called.
You must have been choqué. Ouais. La first user said, “Judas Priest is looking to succeed in you. “My number was not indexed and I was at my parents’ house. They looked at that. They said, “Jayne Andrew is looking to succeed with you. She works with management. This is the number.
I like, “There’s no way this is true. “I looked for his call in Painkiller’s record and he was there. I like: “Okay, I’d better call. ” I called and they said, “We’re interested. You don’t have to sing. Do you have a passport?” I said yes. She said, “You’re on a plane in two days. “
Tell me about the first assembly with the boys. What do you like?It’s amazing. I went to this position in Gales. Es a great studio. You spend the night there. I got there around noon. I listened to music, drums and guitar. Jayne opens the door and Ian Hill, the bass player, sits at the kitchen table. These guys were everything to me at the best school. I had their posters on my wall. I like it, “This is amazing. “
They went with me and Glenn [Tipton] is sitting there playing guitar. Scott plays drums. I think K. K. was still asleep. He looks at me and says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your voice sounds smart. What if we had dinner tonight and made you sing?I thought, “You said I wouldn’t have to sing. “
I hadn’t sung a Judas Priest song in a year at the time. I actually left the Judas Priest canopy band because I wasn’t doing a song very well. Usually, if you hear something, you train. ” Here are 3 songs to learn. “They just gave me and threw me into the fire. I said, “You’re crazy. How about I do it today? I’m not going to be able to sleep. “
And they did. They went into the studio, put on an old edition of “Victim of Changes,” which turned out to be my favorite Judas Priest song to sing. I was lucky with that. It’s a live show. They took Rob’s voice away and said, “Go ahead, sing it. “That’s it. I sang a line, “Woman whiskey, you don’t know you’re driving me crazy. “I played the highest note and Glenn pressed the button and said, “Owens, you have the concert. “
How did you feel at the time? I was quite nervous. I didn’t know what was going to come out of my mouth. I think the gap year in the Seattle organization was pretty smart for me. it still has high notes. I don’t forget exactly how I felt at the time. It’s been a long time. I’m starting to the things that happened.
But I don’t forget that I was amazed. And after Glenn left, “I was joking. Sing the rest of the song. I joked with people, “Maybe I would have almost done Judas Priest and then I would have lost the concert, if I had sung the rest of the song and it had been terrible, all in five minutes. “But I walked into the control room after that. They said, “You know what, Owens? You have the concert.
What happened next? I said, “I’m going to sing one. ” They put “The Ripper”. I went to sing it. That’s where the call comes from.
Who gave you this name? I think it was Glenn. They were joking. We went for dinner that night. There is a picture highlight of us sitting at the table. We look so young in this photo. It’s funny. He joked, “We want to replace that name. More from Tim. We’ll leave Owens as it’s your last name. You’re proud of that. We have to bring you something bad. We’ll call you Evil Owens or something like that. I’m like, “Oh my God. Nope. “
Then he joked about Ripper. Al next day, when I left, he left a note that said, “This is great. We’re excited. ” And he wrote “Ripper” on it.
The funny thing is that they didn’t need other people to know my name. It wasn’t the day of social media and the internet. You may be hiding things. They said, “We’ll just call you Ripper Owens. That’s right. ” And the first article that came out said “Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens. “The first.
I can’t believe the feeling of returning to Ohio after being hired by Judas Priest. He may not tell anyone. Maybe I’ll tell my parents and family. I said, “I got the autograph of the whole group. “I also signed it and said, “Dreams come true. “
My mom had gone to a Judas Priest concert. When I was working at the law firm, we had the hostel at the [Richfield] Coliseum. I said, “They gave me your autograph. ” She said, “Oh my God, maybe one day. “I said, “No, Mom. I’m the lead singer. She said, “No, stop. Maybe one day. ” I said no. ” Then she started crying. that.
The first thing you did was record Jugulator. Explain this procedure to me. We did it in some studios. When we started, we did about 3 songs. I know we did “Burn In Hell” and “Death Row” in a studio owned by Jethro Tull drummer Barriemore Barlow. We recorded something there. Then we went to this other position which is close to Guildford, England. We recorded the rest there.
It was quite difficult and hard-working. It was a totally different world. It wasn’t the days of Pro Tools. I called him. It was the Otari or something. I had to sing over and over again. I spent weeks there recording all day. It was a lot of tea and biscuits, and it was just hard. I would be in the middle of this piece and sing.
I think what made things more complicated was that they saw what else they could get out of me. Glenn eventually learned that anything he asked me to sing, he would end up singing. “I want it to be like death metal. ” I would say, “My brother is listening to this. “”Okay, make your brother proud. ” And then I would come back again and again. He taught me a lot and contributed a lot to me, but it was over and over again. Man, it was frustrating and complicated, but also very satisfying when I heard the final versions.
It’s a pretty intense record, a little different than anything they’ve done before. It is. Panther there. The painkiller is also heavier than your other things. I think it’s an herbal progression. Which made some of the voices I used a little heavier. There’s that heavy tone.
How did your life change after you were announced as a new singer? What is it like to receive all that attention at once? It’s crazy. At first she ran away, which I tried for them. I’d walk by somewhere and my friends would say, “I heard you tried Judas Priest and didn’t succeed. ” Long time not see you. I tried it in February and I think they didn’t announce it until May. I had to keep quiet. But it’s pretty cool since you would line up at a club or something and other people would start talking to you. “Did you do Judas Priest?”
Again, it’s different since there is no social media. The hype would have been much greater if there had been social media and other things. You had to tell someone to locate him. You couldn’t open Facebook and say “Tim Owens did that. . . “I am now more identified than at any other time in my life. My kids used to say, “Dad, you’re never identified. “And now it’s like, “We can’t go anywhere. “
What really introduced me at the time was the promotion of the album. Before I did that, I never knew how hard it was and how long it lasted. Again, you couldn’t use Skype or anything like that. You would be in a room and you would stay there for 8 hours and they would get other people in and out all day. I did that for two months. They would take Glenn with me for a few weeks and K. K. and Ian for a few weeks. They would put them in and take them out, but I was there all the time. It was only two months without stopping. It was very difficult.
Tell me about the tour. It all started at the Boathouse in Norfolk, Virginia. How did it feel to be level that night?He was so in position, not nervous. I was so in a position to do it. Vocally I was in wonderful shape, mentally fit, in a position to pass. That was wonderful. I know other people were willing to hate me. They weren’t there to settle for me, Rob’s fans. I get it. I have a tape of the exhibition that someone gave me years later. You can hear other people say before I faint, “This guy is turning to shit. “Then I started doing a song and they said, “Damn shit. Wow!”
But the first screen is the first time I’ve heard the songs from “Ripper”. And I realize that others don’t like me. They looked for Rob. But I’m ready. It’s a wonderful exhibit. It’s Travis, Scott. Es’s hometown of a packed room. It’s fun.
They were smaller places than they had played in a long time. It must have been a laugh for you to play with them in places like these. Yes. It was a laugh for me. I don’t think it’s fun for them. [Laughs. ] Nobody [in hard rock] was doing that at the time, maybe at Ozzfest and at some major festivals. The bands I grew up with while listening, like Ratt and Death Angel, weren’t even on tour. They were smaller rooms, but that was precisely what was happening. I wish I had been in bigger rooms. I’m sure the organization would have done it too.
The excursion program was brutal with so many months in a row on the road. Has your voice started to come out? I had a bad gig in Europe, but it wasn’t because of the show. I just completely lost my voice for the first time. It was just to get there and the time change. I still got it right. The band learned that I can do a lot of things in a row. The last excursion I did with them, I don’t forget to do six in a row, day off, six in a row. I think it was too much. I think for them it was, “Man, I don’t need to do that. “
Now that I’m traveling alone, I’m going to do 10 or 11 in a row, no matter what my bills pay. But it’s also my band and my set, so I can do whatever I want. hard, but I didn’t know anything else.
Did you feel like you were part of the band on that first tour?Did you feel a bit of a foreigner? No. Je not. They couldn’t have treated me better. We were a circle of family and friends. Actually, it was amazing. We went out together. We would have dinner together. I never felt like a stranger or an employee. It seemed to be going well.
How did you first hear about the movie Rock Star?They contacted me. It was on the golf course. . . A New York Times article was published. It was the first page of the Arts and Entertainment section. It was unusual. I’m at Turkeyfoot Golf Course here in Akron. My mother calls and says, “Hey, this movie theater is called. A movie theater independiente. de Warner Bros. called. “I said, “I’d better give them the control number. “
That’s how it started. It’s essentially a movie about me, the story of my life. They wanted to do it. But it didn’t look very good, but they were looking to do it.
Have you ever talked to the artistic team that made the film?We tried. That’s where he went. The Judas Priest boys saw the draft and said, “No, no, no. You can’t do that. They made them look older and did things they didn’t need to happen. That’s not how the film ended up being released. “They had to replace other things. Judas Priest said, “We need some kind of creativity. We can’t here and do nothing. And from what I understand, Warner Bros. He said, “No. No you can have anything to do with it.
We were going to play him music. It’s going to be called Metal Gods. They ended by saying, “You have nothing to do with it. It’s going to have a vague base now, so we don’t have to pay you. “
How did it feel to see it for the first time? Well, it came out with some smart numbers, but it was the weekend before September 11. I was in Mexico on September 11 and was stuck there for about a week. I didn’t see it for a while. Then I went to the videos and saw it. That is, there were similarities since it was a triyete singer who makes a band. a kind of Spinal Tap movie. A serious movie would have been much better. They just did it with all the clichés of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. This was not what existed at the time. That wasn’t what was happening.
They didn’t show all the hard work it took to revive the organization. In the film, he joins an excursion to the sand halfway through as if nothing had happened. My mother diagnosed him with multiple sclerosis that year. A lot is happening. I’m not that crazy fan either. First of all, as I said, I wasn’t in the Judas Priest tribute organization at the time. When I was in high school, I had signs on my wall. child. Me painting. I wasn’t like that.
They did it like a stalking aficionado. There were so many things that were different, but evidently they had to replace it. I heard they were dating other bands like Pantera and they were given a lot of concepts. This is how I can see sex and drugs come into play. because their backstage is like that.
I know it’s not a wonderful movie and you weren’t paid or used your name, but are you flattered by any point that a big studio made a movie that cheered you on during your lifetime with Mark Wahlberg?First of all, this is the first time in my life that I have abs. Whenever other people ask about “this movie that Mark Wahlberg made about you,” I say, “Do you mean Boogie Nights?”[Laughs. ] But no, I love the fact that it animated a story. I have a sign on the wall. It also drives me crazy to take a look at the slogan: “The story of an aspirant who will have to be. “
I wasn’t doing [the Judas Priest tribute group] to act like them. I was doing this to pay the bills. But I say now they can make a genuine film about me that delves into genuine struggles. Within this movie, they can make the movie [Rock Star]. I think it can be great.
Sometimes when you watch a movie like Almost Famous, it moves me a lot more. You see what’s going on. Then they do that and there are all those clichés.
Tell me about the plan for your moment on Priest’s album, Demolition. It has more of a vintage sound of Priest. Me love this record. In fact, I prefer Demolition. Es simply amazing. People who know Judas Priest know that they’ve only had two albums that sound the same. It was Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith. with each and every record. That’s what they do. They are not still the same.
More experimental demolition. Vocally it had more melody. It’s a more melodic album. Again, I think he had a wider vocal diversity with songs like “One on One. “
The different registration procedure. I recorded my parts in Glenn’s recording studio. We stayed there and got me in the morning, had a coffee or tea. . . he lives in this beautiful region with all this land. . . then we were going to record.
Again, I would be very frustrated. It was a long registration process. But when the evenings were over, we would go to a pub and enjoy a good meal and a few pints. But it was a long time. He would possibly have spent at least two months there.
You co-wrote “What’s My Name. ” I did it. They didn’t let me write and I understood it completely. It was Judas Priest. So they gave me credit, but I think it was more like they passed it to me and said, “Here we go to you I leave you some writing credits. “I put my own stamp on it, but it wasn’t a writing thing.
How was the 2002 tour?Did you enjoy this one as much as the 1998 one?Well, you might only see the writing on the wall on that one. Sometimes it was even more complicated. I think the exhibits were great, but it was weird. They chose strange places to play. In the meantime, we reject Ozzfest. There were many suspicious movements. We turned down an Iron Maiden tour, and that’s when Bruce Dickinson returned to the band. Listen, it is supposedly. That’s what I was told.
To listen and sound [musically] fantastic. We got along well. We sound smart. I had a lot of fun. We had a lot of smart shows. I think one of my last gigs may have been at Auburn Hills Palace.
You also played in Akron at the Coast Festival. I used to joke about it. I went there and saw REO Speedwagon, The Temptations, Bachman-Turner Overdrive. I thought, “Man, I’m not betting here. ” Then we played there and it was so great, so good. It was right next to a very large hotel and other people were sitting in their windows watching the concerts. That was great.
In the meantime, do you still think in the back of your head that Rob would be back at some point and you’d be out of the band?Well, yes. I almost looked for it at the end. At the time, Glenn said, “I just need you to know that we were offered millions of dollars to pick up Rob and move on to a tour. I think he got mad at me for something. ” He said, “If you don’t need to wear that jacket, someone else can do it. “
But I knew it. After our tour, I thought, “I know writing is on the wall, but I’ll never give up. “I knew I had to do something more financially. In the end, I couldn’t make a living from what I received. I don’t mean it wrong, but I sought to do other things. I sought to write.
That’s when Iced Earth called, and that’s when I realized what was written on the wall. They called me and said, “Do you need to sing on this record The Glorious Burden?”Matt [Barlow] had left the band. I like, “Let me call judas priest’s address. “They said, [happily] “Yes, go ahead!” I like, “Oh-oh. ” I knew it.
How did you get informed of Rob’s return? I think I won a fax. I don’t remember. I don’t think it’s an email. It’s in 2003 or 2004. I won a fax that said, “You’re out of the band. “
How did you feel? I felt good. I just recorded The Glorious Burden. It’s fun. I knew it was going to happen. They had to get Rob back. I think Rob needed Judas Priest and Judas Priest needed Rob. To be honest, at the time, Iced Earth was as big as Judas Priest. We were leading the festivals. We played in the same rooms. I think it’s pretty cool.
I felt pretty good. No one else was. My circle of family and friends were all disappointed with Judas Priest. I kept telling them, “Look, from the beginning, I was offered more money to enroll in Iced Earth. “I was lucky enough to be able to move on. Maybe that’s why it was less difficult to digest at the time.
When entiendo. es you think of Judas Priest, you think of Rob, Glenn, and K. K. I agreed with that.
Your life would have been completely different if they hadn’t decided on you. They gave you a whole new career. I told other people that Judas Priest liked my college. I went to Judas Priest’s school. He opened it and allowed me to do what I wanted.
Did you enjoy your stay at Iced Earth? Sí. Es good. I mean, it’s another judas priest. I’m probably more friends with the Judas Priest boys. And the end of the Iced Earth affair is not good. But it’s good music and makes The Glorious Burden a history lesson. We went to Gettysburg and did all that. It was quite impressive.
In the end it’s the same since they brought Matt Barlow back. It was different because we were doing well. I just think John [Schaffer] thought it was going to be even bigger and we were doing exactly the same thing. That’s fun. I just did an interview with Matt. We’re friends. He’s doing a podcast.
In the end, John said, “I’m going to make you a very smart leader and singer. “I said, “What are you talking about? I sang with Judas Priest. He was on his way home to Indiana to record. I took a look at an email. He sent me the same email he sent to Blabbermouth telling me he was fired.
But you met Richard Christie on Iced Earth. I enjoy his comedy paintings on The Howard Stern Show so much that a lot of other people don’t realize he’s that amazing drummer. That is not the case. Luckily, we were going to go ahead and do Charred Walls of the Damned together. He’s a wonderful guy and a wonderful drummer, and fun too. And that’s where I met him.
Then you went to paint for Yngwie Malmsteen. This is the strangest thing. Just before I was fired from Iced Earth, Yngwie called me to ask if I wanted to sing on his record. So I could move straight to anything else.
How wonderful I enjoyed its development, but its enthusiasts were not my kind of enthusiasts. I thought, “This will be a wonderful adventure for me. I can win new enthusiasts. Total fun. I mean, it has a bad reputation, however, for me it’s very simple to value.
How long did it last? Some years. There were two albums, but I really recorded everything at the same time. I didn’t even know they were going to do that. They split it into two discs. Then I gave up once because he was looking for e-book dates, and that’s when he was booking a lot of solo dates and doing events. I deserve to tell you. I ended up saying, “Go find another singer. You can pay him less and he can be there for you. So I think he doesn’t love me anymore. “
In the meantime, do you communicate with the priests? A little bit. Maybe some threatening emails after a promoter in Brazil used the Jugulator paintings. I won a threatening email like “Stop this!”I was like, “Call the promoter. I don’t know what to tell you.
He was friends with the boys and saw them from time to time. Every time I played alone in England or elsewhere. . . opened once for Heaven and Hell and Glenn and K. K. Out. When I play within two hours of where K. K. lived, he came. I would bring a case of beer and hang out.
That’s the thing. Even with threats and “you can’t do this or that, it’s still a smart relationship. They make the threats, but that’s part of the business. However, you lose the thread. You don’t communicate much. Glenn and I will send emails from time to time. I will see Scott from time to time. I even saw [guitarist] Richie [Faulkner] in Florida.
My friend and I went to Nicko McBrain’s Rock N Roll Ribs restaurant to meet Nicko, and Richie was sitting there eating. They are still friends. I don’t burn the bridge. It is even true with Yngwie. I know he talks all the time about the evil of all singers, but if he called me to make a record, I would, because I’m a musician. I love him.
Did you see any of priest’s exhibits after Rob returned?I saw one. That’s because I’m never there. But I saw one at the Blossom [Music Center] when they first came back. I was with my ex-wife. And on the third song, he played a short high note, but the crowd went crazy. My ex said, “Jesus, Tim, you deserve to play a high note for about 30 seconds to make them happy. “
But they sounded good. I have to be honest, vocally, Rob looks amazing. It sounds even better now compared to then. I’m still a fan. I am satisfied for them. I wish K. K. in the group. It’s hard to see Glenn with Parkinson’s disease. It would be great to see Glenn and Richie up there doing it.
Have you ever met Rob? Yes. We have become friends. I met him when I was in Judas Priest. He played Blossom alone and was on the local radio station, 98. 5. They said, “Ripper lives through ici. ” there, come to the show. ‘And that’s what I did. We took a picture. We crossed paths on my tour of South America. I saw him back at a Dio benefit a few years ago. He saw me and came here to communicate to me.
That’s the important thing. We might have said a few bad things about each of us in the press over the years, but overall it’s been good. I know this makes the press feel dissatisfied that we speak well of each other and respect for each other. It’s Rob Halford. But it’s great to know he was following what I was doing. He said: “I see you’re in Russia all the time. How is Russia?I’m like, “Wow, are you looking for what I’m doing?”That’s pretty good.
Tell me about the formation of the K. K. priest. K. K. et remained friends. He knows I’ve been active in music, like with the Three Tremors. I’ve released so many records. There are Spirits of Fire, A New Revenge. . . other people may Google me to verify because even I don’t know what I did.
But what happened was that he sent me a message. [Megadeth’s bassist] David Ellefson was doing an exhibition at K. K. I said, “Hey, Ken, why don’t you come and play with me?Why don’t you bring Ripper? We had [former Priest drummer] Les Binks on drums and we did an exhibition. I think that made K. K. say, “Yeah, we would do something. “
I think right after that, he had the last word: “Judas Priest is doing his last tour, and they would possibly not do anything with you. We don’t need you to play” to make this record. That’s when he called me and asked if I wanted to do it with him. That’s how it started.
I don’t forget to do a Three Tremors exhibit in this domain and Ken came to the exhibit. I would put on the demonstrations and I would say, “Damn, that’s good. It is obsolete metal. People. ” say, “He looks like Judas Priest. “No. Se looks like K. K. Downing.
Tell me about that exhibition you did in Wolverhampton. How does it feel to be next to K. K. again after all those years and doing a song “Hell Bent For Leather”, “Metal Gods” and all those other songs?How wonderful. We also played “Hell is Home” and “Burn in Hell. “It was wonderful to do. Here’s the difference: I’ve been doing this for years. I’ve played Jugulator in its entirety on tours. I’ve been betting those songs for years. K. paso K. Es almost like when I joined Judas Priest. They hadn’t played those songs in about seven years. I do.
It’s wonderful to see him and be up there with him. Like I said, we get along very well. There’s nothing like betting those songs with him. he played them, he’s a totally different animal. And it’s a lot of fun.
Fans expect you to tour. Are we communicating about that?We necessarily communicate about it. The challenge that other people don’t realize is that the album was made before Covid. I finished my business in March [2020]. I went home and they closed everything. People were already wearing masks at the airport when they gave me a house. Then they shut everything down.
All the tours of the duration we need to do were already booked before Covid. now they are in spite of everything here.
That’s why it’s complicated. We’re not just going to jump on anything or play in the rooms. This will have to be true. I listened to what the officials said. It is difficult to book it in the places we need because they are already full. I guess the most productive component is, in the meantime, I hope we can record some other record. Then when we do the right tour, we’ll have two records under our belt and we can go there and just worry about the tour. We’ll do all the tours and that’s it.
What do you think of Judas Priest’s induction into the Hall of Fame?I know some enthusiasts expected you to sign them up. It’s a shame that they can’t bring in members who have been in the band for almost 10 years and who had a Grammy Nomination, two studio albums, two live albums, a DVD. It’s a shame they can’t do it. What appeals to me more than anything is that I haven’t even won a call from Judas Priest about it. I won a call from an Australian agent who was called Metal Gods. “We’re moving on to letting it go this time, but in the Long Run, you might not be able to let them use it. “
What about the guys in the fame runner organization who deserve it?There was never a call that said, “You played a vital role in all of this. These are the reasons why you are not included, but you were a big component of us and you are a big component of the family. Not even a phone call. Don’t come in, it doesn’t matter.
Here’s how I see it: I’m in the Hall of Fame. I have been a member of the organization for almost 10 years. When someone says Judas Priest is in the Hall of Fame, I sang for Judas Priest, so I’m essentially in the Hall of Fame.
There are bands like Metallica or the Chili Peppers where they brought in members who had almost just joined them at the time of the ceremony. Sí. Si there is a reason, I understand it. It would have been great to get an email or a call. The only emails I receive are threats. It’s a shame because we’re friends. It’s a shame that total control is worried, rather than “We’ll probably send Tim a letter or a bottle of champagne thanking him for his years in the band. “
Do you think jugulator’s canopy on a concert poster will charge you a penny?This is pretty ridiculous. Well, they don’t sell the record. What’s the matter? He didn’t even come out. But that’s what worries them. I’m still friends with them. That exhibition was called Metal Gods because it was me and [former AC/DC and Dio drummer] Simon Wright. We do 10 Dio songs and 10 Judas songs Priest. No had nothing to do with the name, however the agent/promoter called it Metal Gods because he thought of them as steel gods. It was not a triyete display for Judas Priest.
Then, my lawyer said, “You have to deal with this agent. I don’t know how much they need to deal with prosecuting someone in Australia. I don’t even know if the trademark is in Australia. I was told I could use this time. I thought, “Why are you threatening me?I have nothing to do with it. But so be it. They are more willing to threaten me than to thank me.
Why is it rarely very Jugulator on Spotify? I do not know. That’s fun. You would possibly not make any profit from them if they are sold on Amazon and Spotify. I wouldn’t make money from sales. But the guys in the organization would do it. I’m stunned. They would sell. I don’t know if they realize that. They will have to not want more cash.
It is less difficult to locate Demolition, but it was recorded at Atlantic in America and SPV in Europe. Jugulator was at CMC International. It was a new label that disappeared. But it is for me. I know I’ve talked in the afterlife about re-recording them, but now I’m very busy. That’s the last thing I need to do.
It’s still shocking that they have erased my time. At least Maiden plays Blaze Bayley stuff live.
They didn’t erase the memory of the fans. They still love those records. Yes. That’s great. It has grown over time. That’s part of it, whether we like it or not. Listen, there are other records that Judas Priest made that other people don’t like, like Turbo or whatever. Here’s how it works. It’s a shame. I never deleted it. I can play it live.
I am putting myself in a position to move to Latin America now. I like 15 concerts in 17 days. Every time I see a flyer for an exhibition in Colombia or anywhere else and I see a Judas Priest lopass or an old photo, I think, “Oh. “
You can tell they never forgot me either. They know how to succeed and tell me not to do anything. That said, I don’t speak ill of anyone in the group. That’s what happens. I can’t help it. But the time I spent on Judas Priest was fantastic. I was treated so well.
People ask me what I miss about Judas Priest or if I miss playing with them. I don’t know. Now I play more passes on my own. I pass to Israel, to Africa, whatever they call it. I am putting myself in a position to move to Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Mexico. I miss friendship. I miss hanging out. I miss that time.
The good news is that you and K. K. se are running in combination again. You have come full circle. Yes. That’s smart. We communicate all the time. That’s funny. Ken doesn’t like to send text messages or emails. He likes to send voice messages. Then I go get it and say, “Shit, this is about 15 minutes. “He once told me that one of them was so long that I had to divide it into two parts. It’s going to be so long that my screen is going to turn off. I’m going to have to start over and say, “Where am I in the message?”It’s fun anyway. He likes to communicate.
As a fan, it’s quite puzzling that he won’t be taken away, especially since Glenn can’t shoot. I think it burned bridges. The fact hurts. I know others say, “Why don’t you avoid saying it?”Well, he said it in a book. Now they consult him all the time through journalists. He answers them. It is not communicated about it. He’s not going to come down and say, “Let me tell you. . . “You ask him a question and he answers you.
I read the book. The portions I’ve read I know, some fact. What he said is what is verdad. Sucedió. No I know what else to say.
But I understand. He burned his bridge. It seems to be happening. And it doesn’t make sense to me as a fan. Look, they would attract more people. Attendance would increase. That would be fantastic.
If he called me and said, “I’m going on an excursion with Judas Priest,” it would tickle me. I’d love to. I think it was fantastic. So I would say, “Do you want a door opener?”
I’ll conclude here, but I think you’re right that a genuine movie about your life can be just amazing. Not a cartoon edition that invents everything, but the genuine story. As long as they put more hair on the actor’s head, maybe a few kilos less, and make him muscular. It will be perfect.
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