The Artist
Aaron Tippin is a force of nature, a man whose passion for music fuels an array of other vigorous enthusiasms. Apart from writing and recording songs and wowing crowds with his live appearances, Tippin is also a pilot, farmer, winemaker, outdoorsman, competitive bodybuilder, and devoted family man. He even runs his own record label. It's no surprise then that so many in the music industry regard this tireless South Carolinian as "the Hillbilly Hercules." 
He was born on the 3rd of July in 1958 in Pensacola, Florida, but reared on a farm in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, where he went to Blue Ridge High School. In the 1970s he made his 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 and competed on TNN’s talent contest, “You Can Be A Star,” where he won a song-publishing contract with the renowned Acuff-Rose Music group. 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 back to Nashville to write songs. In 1990, Aaron signed a recording contract with RCA Records. His debut single, You’ve Got To Stand For Something, became a wildly popular anthem for American soldiers fighting in the Gulf War, and helped to quickly establish him as a neotraditionalist country artist with songs primarily focusing on the American working class. During his tenure at RCA Aaron recorded five studio albums and a Greatest Hits package. Toward the end of the 1990s Aaron then switched labels to Lyric Street Records, where he recorded four more studio albums, including a Christmas album.
Tippin has crusaded for the working man and woman since he ripped country music wide open in 1990 with his uncompromising You've Got To Stand For Something. On the strength of that remarkable song, comedian Bob Hope invited Tippin to appear with him when he toured the Mideast to entertain the troops of Desert Storm. Tippin has been a favorite of—and a standby for—America's fighting forces ever since.
In the years that followed, Tippin's voice continued to ring loud and clear with such hits as I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way, There Ain't Nothin' Wrong With The Radio (an affectionate nod to the kind of automotive clunker most of us have had to rely on at one time or another), My Blue Angel, Working Man's Ph. D., The Call Of The Wild, I Got It Honest, That's As Close As I'll Get To Loving You, For You I Will, Kiss This (a cheeky #1 song he co-wrote with his wife and partner-in-everything, Thea).
Following the attacks of 9/11, Aaron quickly remembered a song he'd recently penned, Where The Stars And Stripes And The Eagle Fly, and he instantly booked studio time and rushed to Nashville and tracked this emotional anthem that reminds countless people what it means to be an American. Since then, Aaron has repeatedly journeyed to Iraq and Afghanistan to sing for the troops. These missions, in turn, have earned him guest spots on such shows as Larry King to speak on the military's behalf.
Aaron’s honest lyrics and direct, impassioned vocals have built a large and devoted audience, with more than 35 charted singles on the Billboard Hot Country chart.
In keeping with his take-charge attitude, Tippin established Nippit Records in 2005. In 2008, the label partnered with Cracker Barrel for the release of He Believed.
Aaron’s retreat is a 500-acre farm in middle Tennessee, where he labors, relaxes and revels in the outdoors with wife and musical collaborator Thea and their two sons, Tom and Ted. It's also the home base for his hangar (complete with four working aircraft), runway, recording studio, and winery.
Aaron’s latest album, In Overdrive, was sparked by his concern that country music had turned its back on its highway heroes. "Seems like somewhere along the line trucking music got shoved off the country music plate," he observes. "I don't understand exactly why. The trucks are still out there. And they're busier than ever keeping America rolling. I know the folks who work and live in the trucking world still love this music—and so do most fans of real country music. This album launches my crusade to bring the music back."
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