Gene Watson's Peers: Aaron Tippin
Gene Watson's peers within the country music
industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas,
so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' -
and rightly so!
All of Gene's Peers who were contacted in 2005 were most
gracious with their time & words. It is here, within this special part of
gene-watson.com, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from
Aaron Tippin, which he submitted to
this site on Friday 2 December 2005.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you'
to
Aaron Tippin who has made a special
contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star
Hero'.
Aaron Tippin
This quote was submitted on Friday 2 December 2005
'Gene Watson, in my opinion, is the most unique singer
in the history of country music'.
Thank you, Aaron Tippin, for your
support of Gene Watson.
About Aaron Tippin...
Aaron Tippin was born in Pensacola, Florida
in 1958 & grew up mostly on a farm near Greer in South Carolina where he first started singing to pass the time while
doing chores. He started playing guitar at age ten but also inherited a love
of flying from his father, who'd worked as a pilot prior to becoming a
farmer.
Aaron earned his pilot's license at age fifteen & began flying
professionally before the age of twenty. He was studying to become a commercial
airline pilot when the industry took a major downturn, which convinced him
to return to music. He played the local honky tonk circuit & worked on his song-writing while holding a series of blue-collar day jobs.
Unfortunately,
his marriage broke up and, with nothing to lose, Aaron finally moved to
Nashville in 1986. He landed a job as a staff songwriter at the legendary Acuff-Rose firm, where his compositions were recorded by the likes of Charley Pride, Mark Collie
& David Ball, among others. In 1990, Aaron's demo
tape landed him a recording contract with RCA Records.
Aaron's debut album, 'You've Got to Stand for Something', was released
in 1991; its title cut became a Top Ten smash in the wake of the Persian
Gulf War & Aaron was invited along on Bob Hope's USO tour.
Aaron's second album,
'Read Between the Lines' was released in 1992 & was a million-selling Top Ten smash,
producing three Top Ten singles in 'I wouldn't have it any other way', 'My
blue angel' & his first No.1, 'There ain't nothing wrong with the
radio'.
In 1993, 'The Call of the Wild' album underlined Aaron Tippin's penchant for
rabble-rousing anthems like 'Honky tonk superman', the Top Ten hit 'Working
man's PHD' & the Top 20 title cut.
In 1994, the 'Lookin' Back at
Myself' album was less successful, but the 'Tool Box' album in 1995 returned
Aaron to the top of
the singles charts with 'That's as close as I'll get to loving you.
Aaron Tippin
also remarried that year.
When Aaron Tippin's follow-up singles failed to duplicate their predecessor's
popularity, his relationship with RCA began to fray. They eventually parted
ways & it wasn't until 1998 that Tippin managed to score another deal,
this time with Disney subsidiary Lyric Street Records.
Aaron co-produced his
Lyric Street Records debut, 'What This Country Needs', which was released later that year
&
returned him to the Top Ten via the single 'For you I will'.
Diamond Rio recorded Aaron Tippin's 'This state of
mind' (co-written with Michael Puryear) & included the track on 'Diamond
Rio' (Arista Records, 1991)
Aaron Tippin'
follow-up album, 'People Like Us', was released in 2000 & became the first Tippin album to make the country Top
Five, thanks to the number one smash 'Kiss this', a song co-written by Tippin's wife Thea.
The Christmas album, 'A December to Remember', followed in 2001 & Tippin returned with a proper follow-up,
'Stars & Stripes', in 2002. In the wake of the September 11, 2001
attacks, he released the patriotic anthem 'Where the stars & stripes & the
eagle fly'. His biggest crossover hit, the song reached No.2 on the
country charts & No.20 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
The track was included on Aaron's 'Stars & Stripes' album, 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 his wife
Thea.
Aaron Tippin's last release for Lyric Street Records was a single
entitled 'Come Friday', which was slated to be included on an album entitled
'I Believed'. The single peaked at No.42 on the country charts, but
the 'I Believed' album was not released; by 2005, Aaron had exited Lyric
Street Records.
Visit Aaron Tippin's Official Site
