We all have a little Ripper Owens in us

One of my favorite movies of all time has been on HBO a lot lately; Rock Star. I love it for many reasons; it has a killer soundtrack, it incorporates real rock stars into the script, and it plays on a dream that all music lovers have; to one day sing in our favorite band.

Some of you may not know that this movie is based on a true story; not line for line however it holds a pretty accurate account of what happen to a guy named Tim Owens. Affectionately known in the industry now as Ripper; Tim was some dude in Akron, Ohio who had a Judas Priest tribute band. A salesman by day, Tim would go through the motions, but at night he would don his best Robert Halford get up, and take the stage to become Ripper.

When Halford left Judas Priest the fate of the band was unknown. Rob Halford has one of those voices that you cant just find on the street; he is known as, "Metal God" for a reason. Through fans videos, and the luck that a Priest member walked in the door one night at a club in Ohio, and saw a man named Tim Owens on the stage singing just as powerful as Halford; the replacement was found.

This is a bitter sweet situation for any true fan that loves a particular band.  As a fan want you want nothing more than your band to keep cranking out songs that you love. On the other hand it gives you what you always wanted; the chance to be in that band. Ripper suffered the fate of not lasting long in Priest, and as a true gentleman, when Halford reunited with Priest he stepped aside. He has not been forgotten though; in fact he works with the best in the business to this day.

We emulate our favorite front-men, guitarists, and drummers in a wondering of what it would be like to be in their shoes. But when the time comes would we really be prepared for the call? I'd love to sing for Papa Roach or Buckcherry; however I know that I am no Jacoby Shaddix, or Josh Todd.