PHOTOS
Randy Shemanski
Country music artist Aaron Tippin busted onto the scene in the the early 1990s when his debut single, “You’ve Got To Stand For Something,” became a big hit with soldiers during the Gulf War. Tippin traveled to the Persian Gulf with Bob Hope in 1991 to entertain the troops, catapulting him to a career that has spanned nearly 20 years.
The Nashville native will display his baritone pipes at Mount Airy Casino Resort on Saturday in a pair of shows that are part of the casino’s “Salute to America’s Veterans,” a celebration that begins Friday and concludes Sunday.
Tippin, who turned 51 this year, has been a supporter of the military since his trip to the Persian Gulf, and when he’s not honoring the soldiers, he’s acknowledging the working class with his music. His latest album, In Overdrive, was released in February and pays homage to truck drivers.
“I was also a professional truck driver myself for a while, and I always think those folks are definitely paying a tribute to this country by getting out there working every day and bringing America to America in a truck,” Tippin told ec/dc via phone last week. “To honor those folks is reason enough, but on top of that, these are all great sing-along songs that everybody knows.”
Although he says working in the music business is the toughest job he’s ever had, Tippin acknowledges how hard blue collar America works, which shows in his music. That’s why he believes his fans feel a close connection to his music — he’s singing about them and about himself at the same time.
“I think when you listen to Aaron Tippin’s music, you’re listening to Aaron Tippin,” he said. “I just don’t pick out the latest, greatest love song and see if I can drive it up the charts. I think when people appreciate Aaron Tippin music, they realize they’re learning something about Aaron Tippin and who I am and what I think, because I’ve wrote almost all of the hits I’ve had.”
That’s not just talk, either. When he takes a break from touring, recording or running his own label — Nippit Records — Tippin heads to his home in Nashville to work on his farm. “That’s rest to me,” he said. “That’s a pleasure to get out there and experience for a few hours what the rest of everybody is experiencing eight hours a day, five days a week.”
Tippin promised a fun show to support the veterans, one with plenty of great music that will leave country music lovers with no choice but to provide him with backing vocals.
“Believe me, if you’re at the show, you’ll see what I’m talking about,” he said with plenty of bravado. “This is one sing-along going into another. If you’re not singing along to a truckin’ hit, you’re singing along to an Aaron Tippin hit.”