TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS On His Singing: 'My High Notes Are Better Now Than, I Think, They've Ever Been'

During a question-and-answer session aboard this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise, former JUDAS PRIEST and current KK'S PRIEST frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens was asked what he does to take care of his singing voice. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I'm lucky, 'cause the voice is a weird thing. I remember Ken [former JUDAS PRIEST and current KK'S PRIEST guitarist Kenneth 'K.K.' Downing] said something. I lost my voice at the second show on the European JUDAS PRIEST tour. And I would go swimming and go to the steam room and I just totally lost my voice. And he said, 'Tim, guitar players have to shut their fingers in the car door [before they are unable to play]. You can just wake up and not have a voice.' And for about five years I didn't. But I've always taken care of it. I go to the gym, I work out, but I don't talk a lot. I hide away when I'm on tour. But it's lucky. You can just lose your voice. But I'm singing better right now. My high notes are better now than, I think, they've ever been. I guess I get up and hope I can sing. That's basically it."

Asked how he gets ready for a live performance, Tim said: "Well, I don't like to talk [before a show]. That was one thing Ronnie [James Dio] was… There was no one like Ronnie. He would not only talk [before hitting the stage]; you would walk with him to the stage [while he is talking to you]. And he's drinking a Guinness on the way to the stage. I don't drink before the KK'S PRIEST shows. I don't like to talk to people. But I don't warm up. I don't do anything. I just go, [lets out a scream].' That's my warm-up. One of those. And that's just to go, 'I hope I can sing.' And then I'm done. I might not even do that, to be honest. But I just, like, clear it away. The first [KK'S PRIEST] song's my warm-up. It is 'Hellfire Thunderbolt', which is kind of a difficult starting song."

Circling back to Dio's approach to preparing for a live show, Tim said: "I love Ronnie. These stories are great. [DISTURBED's] David Draiman, you ever hear that story? David asked Ronnie [one time]… David would talk very seriously. And he would say, 'Ronnie, what do you do to warm up?' And Ronnie said, 'David, if you have to warm up, you don't have it.' But every singer is different. Singers, I think warm-up is fantastic. To me, it just tires me out. But Ronnie was great, 'cause he could just — there was nothing. [There was] no one like Ronnie."

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

Owens and Downing are joined in KK'S PRIEST by guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour will kick off on March 7, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will feature support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES. The tour will be the first of at least a two-leg USA run of shows, planned to continue later in 2024.

KK'S PRIEST has been performing tracks from the band's debut album, 2021's "Sermons Of The Sinner", plus material from KK'S PRIEST second LP, last year's "The Sinner Rides Again", as well as many a PRIEST classic thrown in for good measure.

"The Sinner Rides Again" was released last September via the Austrian rock and metal empire Napalm Records. The nine-song effort was produced and written by Downing and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.