KK'S PRIEST frontman TIM "RIPPER" OWENS has acknowledged he is currently dealing with vocal issues while on tour, telling Chile's iRock.cl in a new interview that the strain is simply part of the job for a singer of his style. "I just got some vocal issues. And as a singer, that happens," he said, adding that he is adjusting his technique on the road to manage it.
Despite the challenges, OWENS made clear he has no plans to make his job easier by transposing songs into more comfortable keys or leaning on studio tricks that cannot be replicated live. "I don't cheat when I sing, I sing everything how I'm supposed to sing it," he said. The singer explained that he records his parts at the peak of his ability in the studio, and holds himself to the standard of reproducing those same performances on stage night after night — a bar he believes every serious vocalist should meet, in contrast to artists who quietly rework melodies or depend on enhancement unavailable outside the studio.
OWENS also spoke about the physical and mental toll of decades on the road, admitting he still gets "a little nervous" before shows — something that has led him to adopt a proper vocal warm-up routine, a habit he never bothered with earlier in his career. Even so, he said the connection with the crowd remains what keeps him going: "I love to watch the facial reactions of the people."
OWENS, who fronted JUDAS PRIEST from 1996 to 2001 after being discovered singing in a PRIEST tribute band, has spent recent years fronting KK'S PRIEST alongside guitarist K.K. DOWNING, releasing two albums with the group, including 2024's "The Sinner Rides Again." KK'S PRIEST are set to hit the road this fall as support on W.A.S.P.'s North American tour, a run that will put OWENS' commitment to unaltered, full-throttle live performances to the test night after night across more than 40 shows.
His comments underscore a philosophy that has defined his career since his PRIEST days — even as his voice, like any singer's after decades of touring, shows the wear of the job.