At a recent Q&A on the Monsters Of Rock cruise, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, formerly of Judas Priest and currently with KK’s Priest, talked about how he looks after his voice. Owens mentioned that he avoids talking and drinking before gigs.
Then, the singer revealed how Ronnie James Dio did just the opposite of his routine and shared the late artist’s approach to warm-ups:
“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.’”
Commenting on Dio’s views, he added:
“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.”
The Vocalist Is Set To Join A New Set Of Live Shows
Owens also shared a personal memory, mentioning a time during a Judas Priest tour in Europe when he lost his voice one morning. He managed to recover and even improve his vocal performance by taking good care of his voice.
Looking forward, the singer is gearing up for a new tour with KK’s Priest, including members KK Downing, AJ Mills, Tony Newton, and Sean Elg.
KK’s Priest is about to start their first-ever U.S. headlining tour on March 7, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with L.A. Guns and Burning Witches opening for them. This tour is the first part of a planned two-leg run across the USA, set to continue later in 2024.
