Judas Priest welcomes back Rob Halford

[Darky]

Halford reunites with Judas Priest

From Kris Osborn
CNN
Friday, July 11, 2003 Posted: 1552 GMT (11:52 PM HKT)


ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Legendary heavy metal vocalist Rob Halford has reunited with Judas Priest, the singer told CNN Friday, speaking by phone from his Birmingham, England, home.

The band, one of heavy metal's most popular groups and a leader in the late-'70s wave of British metal bands, plans to release a full-length studio album in the spring of 2004. Judas Priest will also embark on a global concert tour, the band's first with Halford in more than a decade, the group's management team said.

"Rob Halford, along with band members K.K. Downing, Glenn Tipton and Ian Hill, felt a heightened level of intensity," a member of the management team told CNN, speaking of recent meetings with the four. "Rob said they were all very excited
and they have re-established their friendship. These guys grew up together from their early 20s on, so this means a lot to them personally and professionally."

Tipton also told CNN the band has reunited.

Judas Priest is best known for its songs "Breaking the Law" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin' " and the albums "Screaming for Vengeance" and "Defenders of the Faith."

Work on the new album is scheduled to begin in October. The original band members have been re-establishing their personal and professional relationships since 1999, along the way sparking reunion rumors. "Rob and the other Judas Priest members are so happy this is all a go," the management team member said. "We've worked so hard over the last four years to make this happen."

"We've been through a lot together," said Tipton. "Priest is known for its live music, so what we're looking for to is playing again."

"It's difficult to put it into words," added Halford, referring to the
emotions of the reunion.

Judas Priest formed in the gritty, working-class city of Birmingham in 1970. By the late '70s, they were one of the biggest bands in Britain, and had great success in the United States in the 1980s. Halford left the band in the early '90s in a bitter split. He recorded four studio albums and released a live album without Judas Priest.

The band has continued to perform as Judas Priest, with Ripper Owens' vocals, since Halford's departure. The 2001 movie "Rock Star" was partly based on Owens' experience as a fan and leader of a Priest tribute band who later joined his heroes.

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton has spoken to Billboard.com about the group's decision to reteam with estranged lead singer Rob Halford for a new album and tour in 2004, marking the veteran British heavy metal band's 30th anniversary. "We all agreed that we feel the time is right," Tipton said. "Everything just seems to have locked into place, and we just felt like we
wanted to do it now, and maybe if we don't do it now, we never will."

Even though the rumors of a reunion have circulated for the last several years, Tipton insists that the band made the decision only last week. "We've been bonding our friendship again with Rob over the last two years or so, and we've had a lot of offers to reunite, but we've all been doing our own things," he said. "We've only just come to a point where we felt everything's right.

"Obviously when we split there was a lot of animosity and we didn't speak for a number of years," Tipton continued. "I saw [Halford] for the first time in years about two years ago, and it was very emotional. Anything that was said or done was all forgotten. We've been together for 30 years and we've been
through a lot together in this band. It just needed time really. We all did our own thing, and it ran its course. It's all about timing."

Halford's return to the group will mark the departure of his replacement in the band, Tim "Ripper" Owens. The former singer of the JUDAS PRIEST tribute band BRITISH STEEL was featured on the group's last two studio albums, 1997's "Jugulator" (CMC) and 2001's "Demolition" (Atlantic), plus the concert set "98 Live Meltdown" (CMC).

"There is no one who could have stepped into Rob's shoes except Ripper," Tipton enthused. "He's been fantastic. He told him last week, and basically, he said, 'Look, I've got to agree with you.' He's a big PRIEST fan. And he's been a real gentleman about it."

With regards to the prospect of a new JUDAS PRIEST album, Glenn said, "Rob is a great lyricist. And it's the old team back together, it's the three of us [Halford, Tipton and Downing] writing and it's exciting because that is the team that's written PRIEST classics for the last 30 years. There's just some magic
about it and we shall just proceed and start where we left off, really. I'm sure the floodgates will open. It's been a long time and we're quite eager to get going, so that's when you usually write your best material."

JUDAS PRIEST expect to begin work on new material in September and will embark on a lengthy world tour to promote their next CD, due in late 2004. Also in the works is a JUDAS PRIEST box set, described by Tipton as "a retro-album, right
from the old record days right through to the Ripper years. There are lots of things in the pipeline and lots of things we'll be working on."

[Mooster7]

Oh man. This totally kicks ass. If a Halford-enriched Priest comes to town, that's a show one cannot miss.

I remember when the news broke that Rob was a 'mo. I was completely shocked. I put in a concert video. Somehow seeing him up there in the black, spikey leather was a completly different look. Instead of being savage cool, he looked like a renegade from a gay bar. Perception is funny that way.

They still kick maximum ass. I'll be there.

[bobbity2]

This is great! I plan to drink lots of beer and go to the concert

[Winmar]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ - don't tell me this was no motivation!!

Seriously though, they'll no doubt do a world tour, and I can't wait to see them here! I missed Priest in 2001 because I was overseas. From all reports they were fantastic.

[Darky]

Here's some more things I've picked up off one of the Yahoo groups where I'm a member :

Subject: TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS: Life After JUDAS PRIEST

Former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens says that he was on a
road trip - in a minivan visiting out-of-state relatives - when his
former bandmembers made the announcement last Friday (July 11) that
he was being replaced by the group's longtime frontman Rob Halford.

"I wish I could have been in town, but I didn't know exactly when
they were going to make the announcement," Owens, 35, told The Beacon
Journal Monday (July 14).

"I discussed it with them months back, so I wasn't upset that they
were going to do it."

Owens told the paper that big-money offers for the reunion tour had
been coming for some time but had previously been turned down.

"Halford was out there doing things, but it wasn't as big as he
probably wanted and it probably wasn't as big as PRIEST wanted
either," Owens said. "And money eventually talks, so my feeling
was, 'Why not now when it's best for all of us?' "

Tim says that since the band's last tour ended in the fall, he has
been working on solo demos and has just completed vocal tracks with a
well-known musician he declined to name. Owens described his upcoming
original work as GODSMACK-meets-PANTERA-meets-PRIEST.

"It's still hard-rock-metal style, like PRIEST," Owens said, "but
moved up to this era."

To keep his vocal and stage skills sharp, he has been playing solo
acoustic shows and occasionally sits in with the local cover band THE
SICKNESS. Owens is scheduled to play with the band July 25 at Mangos
in Alliance, Ohio.

Among Owens' few complains was the fact that PRIEST chose to tour on
their own as opposed to teaming up with other bands and playing in
front of larger audiences.

"I wanted to go out on package tours," Owens said. "Nobody goes out
alone nowadays but us. You'll see four, five, six bands touring
together and they all have platinum records. Even those tours draw
only 8,000 to 10,000."

With respect to his lack of songwriting contributions on the last two
JUDAS PRIEST albums, Owens said, "Obviously, I didn't get to really
write, but I was all right with that. In the last year, I've kept
every idea for myself.

"Now the good thing is I didn't write anything. If people consider
that things [with JUDAS PRIEST] failed with me, it's not mine.
Everything you heard would have been there anyway."

Owens says that he has no intentions of playing JUDAS PRIEST material
on his own.

"I won't sing them without the guys, except in a local band. But I
think there are people who will want to hear those songs," he
said. "You never know what would happen if they play Cleveland... I
know I'll be backstage," he joked. "I know where they keep their
beer."

Tim, whose life was the inspiration for the 2001 movie "Rock Star",
says that he is ready for the movie sequel to his life story.

"My story is so much better than the movie," he said. "If you hear
the live CDs, you'll hear those songs sung as well as they've ever
been sung live. They're not overdubbed like a lot of live recordings
were in those days.

"And since I've joined the band, I've gotten (re)married and had a
son," said Owens, the father of a 14-year-old daughter and month-old
boy.

"I'll always be indebted to PRIEST for my lucky break. This is a
happy ending. Life goes on and I go on."



Subject: HALFORD, TIPTON Discuss Emotional JUDAS PRIEST Reunion

Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton have spoken to MTV.com about their
decision to reform the most celebrated lineup of the pioneering heavy-
metal band JUDAS PRIEST for a world tour and a new album next year.

Rumors that negotiations were under way for a reunion were
circulating for months prior to the band's announcement last Friday
(July 11) that Halford was returning to the fold after 12 long years.

"It's just a testament to the great love and power of the music of
JUDAS PRIEST," Halford said. "This has been wanted and pleaded for
for so many years. And obviously, with us all being in our separate
worlds musically, we haven't really been able to seriously consider
it until now."

"It's been almost a five-year process of rebuilding our friendship
and musical bridges," Halford said. "So, this reunion has taken a lot
of love and repair work and obviously we're thrilled that it's
finally happened now."

"It was very emotional," guitarist Glenn Tipton said of the band
meeting last week that led to the reunion announcement. "When I saw
Rob, we decided right then to reunite and go back out there. It felt
just like it did before he left the band. And the world's just gone
mad about it. It's very exciting."

With regards to Halford's replacement, vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens,
Tipton said, "We were quite happy being out with Ripper. He was the
only person that could have stepped into Rob's shoes. We've all been
enjoying ourselves and we've been relaxed, but we all feel the time
is right now to go back out with Rob again, and Tim understands that."

Halford, Tipton and guitarist K.K. Downing will convene in September
to write songs for the band's 16th studio album. The trio will work
at various locations in the U.S., England and Spain, and while they
plan to release the record in 2004 they won't be working by a strict
timetable.

"Like every PRIEST record we wrote as a threesome, we never really
thought much about what we were going to do or when we were going to
do it by," Halford said. "We let the music take us where it felt
right, and did what made us feel good. That's what will happen this
time."

"The most important thing for us to do now is to put pen to paper,"
Tipton added. "The old writing trio of Tipton, Halford and Downing
will be back together, and that should make for some classic songs."

According to Halford, PRIEST will support their next record with an
extravagant worldwide tour.

"Before I left PRIEST, we did a humongous show, and we don't want to
dissolve that down," he said. "We want to let people blink a couple
of times, fast-forward to 2004 and go, 'God, look. There it is again.
There's the spectacle. There's the power and the passion. There's the
bike.' All these great things that you know and love and cherish
about PRIEST are going to be back in front of your life in real time
in 2004."

[BT]

Good ol Aunty Rob!

[Darky]

Some more news - Ripper Owens has now joined Iced Earth as lead vocalist. Good news I reckon, as I always thought Matt Barlow's vocals were a bit of a weak link in Iced Earth.


Former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens has officially joined
ICED EARTH. Owens, whose split with PRIEST was said to have been
amicable, has already finished laying down vocals to the group's new
album, "The Glorious Burden", tentatively due this fall through
SPV/Steamhammer Records.

"The album is done, and it's not just done, it rules!!" ICED EARTH
guitarist/songwriter Jon Schaffer writes on the band's web site. "I
have never been more pleased in all my years of recording. It came
out the way it was supposed to be!"

With regards to Tim's performance on the album, Schaffer says,
Tim "did an amazing job! I know there were a lot of people hoping
that [Owens would be the group's new singer], and [he] is . . . I can
honestly tell you I've never felt better and am truly looking to the
future with more optimism than ever before."

And another snippet...

Hey People,

Well the album is done, and it's not just done, it rules!! I have
never been more pleased in all my years of recording.
It came out the way it was supposed to be!
And now for the big news, it's Tim Owens on vocals and he did an
amazing job! I know there were a lot of people hoping that this would
be the case, and it is.
I've asked Neil to put a sample of 3 of the songs for you guys to
check out. SPV agreed to letting me do this as long as I did not put
the whole song up. I hope you enjoy them, I know I do.
I'll be in touch soon with more news and details of the release dates
for the single which will be called "The Reckoning" and the full
length CD "The Glorious Burden."
I can honestly tell you I've never felt better and am truly looking
to the future with more optimism than ever before.

Until next time,

Jon Schaffer - iced earth

[Angus1]

Originally posted by bobbity2
This is great! I plan to drink lots of beer and go to the concert
I'll meet you at the bar mate.
I'll be the one holding the Large cup of Guiness wearing the old "Unleashed In the East" T-Shirt. (that now looks more like bondage gear then a T- Shirt) :)

[Winmar]

Just got a few samples from the forthcoming IE album. Ripper's vocals sound awesome!

Jon Schaffer's a knob, but that can't be helped.

[Darky]

Another snippet I've found, which says the saga of Iced Earth and Ripper Owns isn't as straight forward as it seems...


Everyone in the metal community was ecstatic about the announcement, as
unsurprising as it was, that former Judas Priest vocalist, Tim 'Ripper'
Owens, had
found a home in Iced Earth, so quickly after his ouster. When BW&BK contacted
Owens, simply to congratulate him on the positive change of fortune, a rather
cryptic reply came: "Thanks, but to make it clear, I didn't join the band! I
just did the vocals, and I really love the stuff. I really want to put my own
stuff together. We shall see." That left the puzzle unsolved, as we all were
led to believe this was the missing piece. From his friendly, but terse reply,
it would appear there were no live dates in the offing, or future commitments.
That didn't seem right.


So BW&BK went straight to the source, Jon Schaffer. Lo and behold, the
comments were not another smokescreen (of which there's been entirely too
much of
lately). "Tim was hired to do the vocals for the record only. Two days
after we
finished, he lost his gig with Priest. Obviously this changes things and maybe
he will be the new guy someday in the future, but right now he needs some
time to figure out what he's going to do."


"There will come a time when I will decide to look for a permanent singer in
the near future, if Tim can't commit. I hired Tim to do this record knowing
that he had the ability to do the parts that I'd written and that was the
extent
of it. I would love to have Tim as the new frontman in Iced Earth, but he's
got to want it or it's no good for anyone involved. He's going through a big
change in his life and I will give him some time to figure out what he
wants for
his future career, but obviously we can't wait forever."


"Either way, Iced Earth will carry on in the same tradition as always. I feel
great and am very, very optimistic for the band's future, no matter who ends
up in the vocal position. I will find the right guy and maybe it is Tim; time
will tell. This record has brought about a new beginning for the band and fate
will take its course!"


The Glorious Burden, with Tim Owens on vocals, is scheduled to be released
through the band's new label, SPV.
---------------

[bobbity2]

Originally posted by Angus1
I'll meet you at the bar mate.
I'll be the one holding the Large cup of Guiness wearing the old "Unleashed In the East" T-Shirt. (that now looks more like bondage gear then a T- Shirt) :)

Wish I could get hold of a "Sad Wings" or "Sin After Sin" T-Shirt...