Aaron Tippin
Encyclopedia
Aaron Dupree Tippin is an American country music
artist and record producer. Initially a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music
, he gained a recording contract with RCA Records
in 1990. His debut single, "You've Got to Stand for Something
" became a popular anthem for American soldiers fighting in the Gulf War
and helped to establish him as a neotraditionalist country act with songs that catered primarily to the American working class
. Under RCA's tenure, he recorded five studio albums and a Greatest Hits package. By the later half of the 1990s, however, his sales and chart performance began to decline, and he was dropped from the label's roster.
Tippin switched to Lyric Street Records
in 1998, where he recorded four more studio albums, counting a compilation of Christmas music
. In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks
, he released the patriotic anthem "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
"; although it was his most successful crossover single, he saw his popularity decline a second time after its release. After parting ways with Lyric Street in 2006, he founded a personal label known as Nippit Records, on which he issued the compilation album Now & Then. A concept album, In Overdrive
, was released in 2009.
Tippin has released a total of nine studio albums and two compilations, with five gold certifications and one platinum certification among them. In addition, he has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
charts, including three Number Ones: "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio
" (1992), "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You
" (1995), and "Kiss This
" (2000), as well as the Top Ten hits "You've Got to Stand for Something", "I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way", "My Blue Angel", "Working Man's Ph.D", "For You I Will", and "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly".
, Florida
, but raised on a farm in Travelers Rest, South Carolina
, where he went to Blue Ridge High School. In the 1970s, he made a living as a singer, performing in various local bars. By the time Aaron was 20, he was working as a commercial pilot. In 1986, he moved to Nashville, where he eventually became a staff writer at Acuff-Rose. He competed on TNN
's You Can Be a Star talent contest in 1986, landed a song publishing contract and moved to Nashville
in 1987. During this time he wrote songs for The Kingsmen
, David Ball
, Mark Collie
, and Charley Pride
. He would spend his nights working at Logan Aluminum in Logan County, Kentucky
and spend his days driving 60 miles to Nashville to write songs.
and others. Aaron Tippin's boss, Reba McEntire
, was the owner of Starstruck who would appear in Aaron's 1994 video "Honky Tonk Superman". Aaron parted ways with Starstruck in 1997.
Nashville. His first single, "You've Got to Stand for Something
", was released in 1991. The song, with its message of standing up for one's personal beliefs, became popular as an anthem for soldiers fighting in the Gulf War
at the time, and reached a peak of #6 on the Billboard
country charts. It was also the title track to his debut album
, released in late 1991. Certified gold in the United States, the album also produced the #40 hit "I Wonder How Far It Is Over You" and the #54 "She Made a Memory out of Me".
Tippin's second album, Read Between the Lines, was released in 1992. Its first single, the novelty track "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio
", became his first Number One hit, spending three weeks at the top of the country charts. Also released from this album were the singles "I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way", "I Was Born with a Broken Heart" (previously a chart single in 1988 for Josh Logan
), and "My Blue Angel", which peaked at #5, #38 and #7, respectively, on the country charts. Read Between the Lines became Tippin's first platinum album.
1993 saw the release of his third studio album, titled Call of the Wild
. It produced three straight Top 40 country hits in "Workin' Man's Ph.D.", the title track, and "Whole Lotta Love on the Line", while "Honky Tonk Superman", the final single, failed to make Top 40. One year later, Tippin released his fourth album, Lookin' Back at Myself
, which produced the #15 "I Got It Honest" and the minor Top 40 "She Feels Like a Brand New Man Tonight".
1995 saw the release of Tippin's fifth studio album for RCA. Titled Tool Box
, it produced his second Number One country hit in the ballad "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You
"; the second single, "Without Your Love", peaked at #22, while the album's last two singles both failed to make Top 40. Like Call of the Wild and Lookin' Back at Myself before it, Tool Box also earned a gold certification from the RIAA.
Tippin's final release for the RCA label, a compilation titled Greatest Hits… and Then Some, was issued in 1996. This album produced two chart singles which both failed to make Top 40, and by the end of the year, he exited the label.
, then a newly-formed subsidiary label of the Walt Disney Company. His first single for the label, the #6 hit "For You I Will", served as the lead-off to his 1998 album What This Country Needs
and became his first Top Ten hit since "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You". Following it were "I'm Leaving" at #17, "Her" at #33, and the title track at #48.
2000 saw the release of the single "Kiss This
". Co-written by Tippin with his wife, Thea, the song went to the top of the Billboard country charts, becoming his third and final Number One hit. It served as the lead-off to his second Lyric Street album, People Like Us
, and the David Lee Murphy
-penned title track reached Top 20 in 2001. People Like Us was also certified gold.
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks
, he released the patriotic-themed song "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
". His biggest crossover hit, the song reached #2 on the country charts and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100
. It was included on his album Stars & Stripes
, which was released in early 2002 (following the release of his Christmas album A December to Remember
). Stars & Stripes produced three more singles, including the ballad "Love Like There's No Tomorrow", a duet with Thea.
Tippin's last release for Lyric Street was a single entitled "Come Friday", which was slated to be included on an album entitled I Believed. The single peaked at #42 on the country charts, and I Believed was not released; by 2005, he had exited Lyric Street.
. His first release for the album, Aaron Tippin: Now & Then, produced the singles "Ready to Rock (In a Country Kind of Way)" and "He Believed", the latter of which peaked at #55 on the country charts. On September 9, 2007, Aaron released a new single called "Drill Here, Drill Now" which was inspired by the "Drill Here" movement led by Newt Gingrich
at his American Solutions organization.
Tippin signed to Country Crossing Records in 2008. His first album for the label, In Overdrive
, was released in February 2009. This album comprises covers of country songs that have truck driving themes.
, and the other was run by his late father, Willis Emory Tippin, in Oak City, North Carolina
. (Willis died in 2005.) According to the Federal Aviation Administration
, Tippin is an instrument rated commercial pilot with single and multi-engine ratings. He also has private pilot privileges for rotorcraft-helicopter. Finally, he is a certified airframe and power plant mechanic.
, characterized by a nasal Southern twang
. His phrasing has been compared to Hank Williams for "the catch in the throat, followed by a sliding moan", as described by Entertainment Weekly
reviewer Alanna Nash in her review of Tippin's debut.
Several of Tippin's songs, such as "Workin' Man's Ph.D" and "You've Got to Stand for Something", are mid-tempo anthems that address the working class
, and are often patriotic in nature. Occasionally, Tippin records love-themed ballads, such as "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You". Other songs of his, such as "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio" and "Honky Tonk Superman", are honky tonk
-influenced novelties.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist and record producer. Initially a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music
Acuff-Rose Music
Acuff-Rose Music was an American music publishing firm formed by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose in Nashville, Tennessee. Acuff-Rose's honest behavior towards their writers set them apart from other music publishing firms at the time and lead them to fame throughout the 50's, 60's, 70's.-History:Acuff-Rose...
, he gained a recording contract with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
in 1990. His debut single, "You've Got to Stand for Something
You've Got to Stand for Something (song)
"You've Got to Stand for Something" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Aaron Tippin. Released in late 1990 as his debut single, it is also the title track to his 1991 debut album You've Got to Stand for Something...
" became a popular anthem for American soldiers fighting in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and helped to establish him as a neotraditionalist country act with songs that catered primarily to the American working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
. Under RCA's tenure, he recorded five studio albums and a Greatest Hits package. By the later half of the 1990s, however, his sales and chart performance began to decline, and he was dropped from the label's roster.
Tippin switched to Lyric Street Records
Lyric Street Records
Lyric Street Records was an American record label specializing in country music. The label was part of the Disney Music Group, owned by the The Walt Disney Company. President Randy Goodman, formerly a general manager for RCA Records, founded the label in 1997...
in 1998, where he recorded four more studio albums, counting a compilation of Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
. In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, he released the patriotic anthem "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
"Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly" is a title of a song written by Kenny Beard, Casey Beathard, and co-written and recorded by American country music singer Aaron Tippin. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and also peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot...
"; although it was his most successful crossover single, he saw his popularity decline a second time after its release. After parting ways with Lyric Street in 2006, he founded a personal label known as Nippit Records, on which he issued the compilation album Now & Then. A concept album, In Overdrive
In Overdrive
In Overdrive is an album released in 2009 by American country music artist Aaron Tippin. The album is composed of truck driving song covers with the exception of the last two tracks, which are original. Tippin's 2008 single "Drill Here, Drill Now" is also featured in the album...
, was released in 2009.
Tippin has released a total of nine studio albums and two compilations, with five gold certifications and one platinum certification among them. In addition, he has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts, including three Number Ones: "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio
There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio
"There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Aaron Tippin. The fourth single of his career, it was also the first release from his second album, 1992's Read Between the Lines...
" (1992), "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You
That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You
"That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You" is the title of a song recorded by American country music artist Aaron Tippin. It was released in August 1995 as the lead-off single to his 1995 album Tool Box. It peaked at number one in the United States, and #10 in Canada...
" (1995), and "Kiss This
Kiss This (song)
"Kiss This" is a single, released in 2000, by country music singer Aaron Tippin. It was the first single released from his CD People Like Us...
" (2000), as well as the Top Ten hits "You've Got to Stand for Something", "I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way", "My Blue Angel", "Working Man's Ph.D", "For You I Will", and "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly".
Biography
Aaron Tippin was born in PensacolaPensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, but raised on a farm in Travelers Rest, South Carolina
Travelers Rest, South Carolina
Travelers Rest is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 4,099 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. "TR", as the city is known around the area, is just north of Greenville...
, where he went to Blue Ridge High School. In the 1970s, he made a living as a singer, performing in various local bars. By the time Aaron was 20, he was working as a commercial pilot. In 1986, he moved to Nashville, where he eventually became a staff writer at Acuff-Rose. He competed on TNN
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
's You Can Be a Star talent contest in 1986, landed a song publishing contract and moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1987. During this time he wrote songs for The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
, David Ball
David Ball (country musician)
David Ball is an American country music artist. Active since 1988, he has recorded a total of seven studio albums on several different labels, including his platinum certified debut Thinkin' Problem. Fourteen of Ball's singles have entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, Mark Collie
Mark Collie
George Mark Collie is an American country music artist and occasional actor. He has released eight albums, and has charted 16 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His highest peaking singles are "Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'" at #5, and "Born to Love You" at #6, from 1992 and...
, and Charley Pride
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
. He would spend his nights working at Logan Aluminum in Logan County, Kentucky
Logan County, Kentucky
Logan County is a county located in the southwest area of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 26,573. Its county seat is Russellville...
and spend his days driving 60 miles to Nashville to write songs.
Starstruck Entertainment
Aaron Tippin signed on to Starstruck Entertainment agency division, joining Linda DavisLinda Davis
Linda Kaye Davis is an American country music singer. Before beginning a career as a solo artist, she charted three minor country singles as one half of the duo Skip & Linda. In her solo career, Davis has recorded five major-label studio albums and more than 15 singles...
and others. Aaron Tippin's boss, Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
, was the owner of Starstruck who would appear in Aaron's 1994 video "Honky Tonk Superman". Aaron parted ways with Starstruck in 1997.
1991-1997: RCA Records
Tippin performed his first Nashville nightclub show in 1990, and it earned him a contract with RCA RecordsRCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
Nashville. His first single, "You've Got to Stand for Something
You've Got to Stand for Something (song)
"You've Got to Stand for Something" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Aaron Tippin. Released in late 1990 as his debut single, it is also the title track to his 1991 debut album You've Got to Stand for Something...
", was released in 1991. The song, with its message of standing up for one's personal beliefs, became popular as an anthem for soldiers fighting in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
at the time, and reached a peak of #6 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country charts. It was also the title track to his debut album
You've Got to Stand for Something
You've Got to Stand for Something is the debut album of American country music artist Aaron Tippin. The title track was Tippin's first chart entry, peaking at #6 on the Billboard country charts in 1991. Also released from this album were "I Wonder How Far It Is over You" and "She Made a Memory out...
, released in late 1991. Certified gold in the United States, the album also produced the #40 hit "I Wonder How Far It Is Over You" and the #54 "She Made a Memory out of Me".
Tippin's second album, Read Between the Lines, was released in 1992. Its first single, the novelty track "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio
There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio
"There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Aaron Tippin. The fourth single of his career, it was also the first release from his second album, 1992's Read Between the Lines...
", became his first Number One hit, spending three weeks at the top of the country charts. Also released from this album were the singles "I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way", "I Was Born with a Broken Heart" (previously a chart single in 1988 for Josh Logan
Josh Logan (country singer)
Josh Logan is an American country music artist. He has recorded three albums, including one for the Curb Records label in 1988...
), and "My Blue Angel", which peaked at #5, #38 and #7, respectively, on the country charts. Read Between the Lines became Tippin's first platinum album.
1993 saw the release of his third studio album, titled Call of the Wild
Call of the Wild (Aaron Tippin album)
Call of the Wild is the third album released by American country music singer Aaron Tippin. Released in 1993 on RCA Records Nashville, it produced the singles "The Call of the Wild", "Honky-Tonk Superman", "Workin' Man's Ph.D.", and "Whole Lotta Love on the Line". Of these, only "Workin' Man's...
. It produced three straight Top 40 country hits in "Workin' Man's Ph.D.", the title track, and "Whole Lotta Love on the Line", while "Honky Tonk Superman", the final single, failed to make Top 40. One year later, Tippin released his fourth album, Lookin' Back at Myself
Lookin' Back at Myself
Lookin' Back at Myself is the fourth studio album from American country music artist Aaron Tippin. It was released in 1994 via RCA Records Nashville. The album includes the singles "I Got It Honest" and "She Feels Like a Brand New Man Tonight," both of which entered the country music charts;...
, which produced the #15 "I Got It Honest" and the minor Top 40 "She Feels Like a Brand New Man Tonight".
1995 saw the release of Tippin's fifth studio album for RCA. Titled Tool Box
Tool Box
Tool Box is the fifth studio album from American country music artist Aaron Tippin. It features the singles "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You", "Without Your Love", "Everything I Own" and "How's the Radio Know". "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You" reached Number One on the...
, it produced his second Number One country hit in the ballad "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You
That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You
"That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You" is the title of a song recorded by American country music artist Aaron Tippin. It was released in August 1995 as the lead-off single to his 1995 album Tool Box. It peaked at number one in the United States, and #10 in Canada...
"; the second single, "Without Your Love", peaked at #22, while the album's last two singles both failed to make Top 40. Like Call of the Wild and Lookin' Back at Myself before it, Tool Box also earned a gold certification from the RIAA.
Tippin's final release for the RCA label, a compilation titled Greatest Hits… and Then Some, was issued in 1996. This album produced two chart singles which both failed to make Top 40, and by the end of the year, he exited the label.
1998-2005: Lyric Street
In 1998, Tippin moved to Lyric Street RecordsLyric Street Records
Lyric Street Records was an American record label specializing in country music. The label was part of the Disney Music Group, owned by the The Walt Disney Company. President Randy Goodman, formerly a general manager for RCA Records, founded the label in 1997...
, then a newly-formed subsidiary label of the Walt Disney Company. His first single for the label, the #6 hit "For You I Will", served as the lead-off to his 1998 album What This Country Needs
What This Country Needs
What This Country Needs is a 1998 album released by country music artist Aaron Tippin. It was his first full studio album since switching from RCA Records to Lyric Street Records...
and became his first Top Ten hit since "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You". Following it were "I'm Leaving" at #17, "Her" at #33, and the title track at #48.
2000 saw the release of the single "Kiss This
Kiss This (song)
"Kiss This" is a single, released in 2000, by country music singer Aaron Tippin. It was the first single released from his CD People Like Us...
". Co-written by Tippin with his wife, Thea, the song went to the top of the Billboard country charts, becoming his third and final Number One hit. It served as the lead-off to his second Lyric Street album, People Like Us
People Like Us (Aaron Tippin album)
People Like Us is the title of an album released in 2000 by American country music artist Aaron Tippin. His second album for the Lyric Street label, it features his third and final Number One single on the country charts, "Kiss This". Also released from this album were the title track and "Always...
, and the David Lee Murphy
David Lee Murphy
David Lee Murphy is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 1994, Murphy made his first appearance on the Billboard country charts that year with "Just Once", a song from the soundtrack to the 1994 film 8 Seconds. A year later, Murphy's debut album Out with a Bang was...
-penned title track reached Top 20 in 2001. People Like Us was also certified gold.
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, he released the patriotic-themed song "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
"Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly" is a title of a song written by Kenny Beard, Casey Beathard, and co-written and recorded by American country music singer Aaron Tippin. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and also peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot...
". His biggest crossover hit, the song reached #2 on the country charts and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It was included on his album Stars & Stripes
Stars & Stripes (album)
Stars & Stripes is an album released in 2002 by American country music artist Aaron Tippin. It features the singles "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly", "Love Like There's No Tomorrow" and "I'll Take Love over Money"...
, which was released in early 2002 (following the release of his Christmas album A December to Remember
A December to Remember
-Chart performance:...
). Stars & Stripes produced three more singles, including the ballad "Love Like There's No Tomorrow", a duet with Thea.
Tippin's last release for Lyric Street was a single entitled "Come Friday", which was slated to be included on an album entitled I Believed. The single peaked at #42 on the country charts, and I Believed was not released; by 2005, he had exited Lyric Street.
2006-present
In 2006, Tippin formed his own record label, Nippit Records, in a joint partnership with Rust NashvilleRust Nashville
Rust Nashville was a recording company founded by Ken Cooper in 1998, originally to promote his band Vertigogo. It was originally based out of Northeast Ohio, most notably Cleveland, before its move to Nashville, TN, in 2005...
. His first release for the album, Aaron Tippin: Now & Then, produced the singles "Ready to Rock (In a Country Kind of Way)" and "He Believed", the latter of which peaked at #55 on the country charts. On September 9, 2007, Aaron released a new single called "Drill Here, Drill Now" which was inspired by the "Drill Here" movement led by Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
at his American Solutions organization.
Tippin signed to Country Crossing Records in 2008. His first album for the label, In Overdrive
In Overdrive
In Overdrive is an album released in 2009 by American country music artist Aaron Tippin. The album is composed of truck driving song covers with the exception of the last two tracks, which are original. Tippin's 2008 single "Drill Here, Drill Now" is also featured in the album...
, was released in February 2009. This album comprises covers of country songs that have truck driving themes.
Personal life
On July 15, 1995, Tippin married the former Thea Corontzos at a Greek Orthodox ceremony in Nashville. Along with his manager, Billy Craven, Aaron and Thea Tippin created Tippin's company, Tip Top Entertainment. Tippin also opened two hunting supply stores called Aaron Tippin Firearms: one in Smithville, TennesseeSmithville, Tennessee
Smithville is a city in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of De Kalb County.-Geography:...
, and the other was run by his late father, Willis Emory Tippin, in Oak City, North Carolina
Oak City, North Carolina
Oak City is a town in Martin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 339 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oak City is located at ....
. (Willis died in 2005.) According to the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, Tippin is an instrument rated commercial pilot with single and multi-engine ratings. He also has private pilot privileges for rotorcraft-helicopter. Finally, he is a certified airframe and power plant mechanic.
Musical style
Tippin's singing voice is a baritoneBaritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, characterized by a nasal Southern twang
Southern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
. His phrasing has been compared to Hank Williams for "the catch in the throat, followed by a sliding moan", as described by Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reviewer Alanna Nash in her review of Tippin's debut.
Several of Tippin's songs, such as "Workin' Man's Ph.D" and "You've Got to Stand for Something", are mid-tempo anthems that address the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, and are often patriotic in nature. Occasionally, Tippin records love-themed ballads, such as "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You". Other songs of his, such as "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the Radio" and "Honky Tonk Superman", are honky tonk
Honky tonk
A honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
-influenced novelties.