Tim "Ripper" Owens

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Tim "Ripper" Owens, born as Timothy S. Owens on September 13, 1967 in Akron, Ohio, is an American heavy metal singer who has performed in Judas Priest and Iced Earth.

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 discredited 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.

Prior to joining Judas Priest in 1996, Owens was frontman of a heavy metal band called Winter's Bane, with whom he recorded an album called Heart of a Killer in 1993. He also was the frontman of Judas Priest tribute band British Steel.

Judas Priest reunited with Rob Halford in 2003. That same year Matthew Barlow, the frontman for Iced Earth, quit the band and Owens became the new lead singer for them after leaving Judas Priest. Iced Earth's first album with Owens, The Glorious Burden, came out in early 2004.

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.