Tim 'Ripper' Owens definitely knows how to shake his money maker. The vocalist of Charred Walls of the Damned, formerly of Judas Priest and Iced Earth, stays busy by working on his solo effort, Beyond Fear, and spending time with Yngwie Malmsteen and Hail, the covers outfit he fronts.

"I put my solo album out last year, hopefully you can find it, since SPV had problems. It disappeared quicker than ..." Owens told Noisecreep, referring to the label's current insolvency. "Well, you can get it online. It did well while it was around, and I can still promote it. I tour nonstop with that record. It's called 'Play My Game,' and I am working on new Beyond Fear, and I do shows with Hail. I am quite busy with working on this and will do a new Yngwie record soon. I like to stay busy. Now the main thing is pushing Charred Walls of the Damned and my solo record. It's exciting."

Since his soaring voice is his calling card, we asked Owens to provide some hard-earned advice on how he protects his most valuable asset. "A lot of sleep on the road and trying not to talk in loud places and drink a lot of water," Owens said. "It is harder now that I am 42, so my tips don't help me out quite as much as when I was young. I wasn't sleeping and doing what I should have back then! I have been able to make a career out of it. I have worried about going on stage and singing as good as I can. I want to blow people away and impress them still!"

Owens admits he doesn't really listen to a lot of new music that's out. "I haven't had time to listen to a lot of stuff," he said. "When I come home, I am so busy with Hail and solo touring, I listen to the songs I have to play. I listen to local talk radio, 'The Talk of Akron.' I have been listening to my kid's stuff, too, which is a lot of Pink and Hannah Montana. I listen to a lot of sports talk. I love college football."

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