Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

TIPPIN, Aaron

(b 3 July '58, Pensacola FL) Bluesy, modern-day hillbilly singer with hunk image due to his weight- lifting hobby. Grew up in South Carolina, played in local bluegrass and country bands in his teens; his father was an airline pilot and by 15 he had his own pilot's licence, later became a freelance and commercial pilot; took up weight-lifting and won several body-building competitions. Moved to Kentucky '80, worked nightshift in a factory, driving to Nashville daytimes to write songs; moved there '86 and landed writer's contract with Acuff-Rose; demos landed RCA contract '89 just as Mark Collie hit with Tippin's co-written 'Something With A Ring On It'. Tippin's debut single 'You've Got to Stand For Something' went top ten '90. Further hits incl. no. ones 'There Ain't Nothing Wrong With The Radio', 'That's As Close As I'll Get To Loving You'; other Tippin songs were hits for David Ball, Kenny Chesney etc. With powerful working-man themes in his music and good value on stage, he became a hot country act with hit albums incl. You've Got To Stand For Something '90, Read Between The Lines '92, Call Of The Wild '93, Lookin' Back At Myself '95, Tool Box '96.