Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens seemingly has lived nine lives by being a part of many bands and has worked with several musicians in his career. He recently shared with Appetite for Distortion that some records he has worked on have been heavily influenced by David Bowie’s range and what he can do with his voice, which his fans can expect to hear in his projects.
Owens is known to have a wide vocal range that he can take to all sorts of places. Some of his inspirations have come from some of the most recognizable musicians in the industry. Whether it be Elvis, Aerosmith, Ronnie James Dio, or the metal route Judas Priest, Pantera, and Anthrax, all these big names have been his guiding light in how high he can take his notes.
More recently, the singer has been loving David Bowie and what he can portray, how he can tell a story with his voice. It seems like we can expect to hear some of that influence on his latest solo EP, ‘Return to Death Row.’
The frontman’s words about his influences:
“It was pretty early on with knowing I could sing Elvis or Bachman-Turner Overdrive or Aerosmith and but you know, probably I got to be honest with a high note, it would have had to have been Judas Priest, you know I heard ‘Screaming For Vengeance,’ and that record probably made me realize what I could do and that I could hit high notes.
I grew up loving singers who sang in characters: David Bowie, Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, and John Oliva. I love singers like that, who told stories, but they could change the way their voice did it. The more I went on, the more I realized I could do even more of it because then, all of a sudden, I realized, man, I got a little Sepultura in my voice, or I got a little Pantera in my voice.”
He added:
“But I grew up listening to all of that Anthrax, Testament, Death Angel, you know, and then also, you know, obviously Maiden, The Priest, The Dio, and so my range was pretty even, you know, Sex Pistols just such a range. Then as a kid, it was always Elvis, Dion and the Belmonts. I didn’t like the Beatles as a kid now I’m older, I absolutely love the Beatles, but you know, now that I got older, the big one on me is, and you’ll hear it not on this record but other records, David Bowie I loved how he had his lows, and he just told this story.”
Despite Owens’ many influences in the industry and the incredible voices he admires, David Bowie seems to stand out, as he is an excellent example of how he wants his songs to sound. The main reason for his interest in Bowie is his unique vocals telling a story through music. It captured Ripper’s attention now, perhaps more than ever, so expect to hear some of that influence on his records.
