Aaron Tippin Biography

Aaron Tippin (born July 3, 1958) is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional bodybuilder. Starting with the single "You've Got to Stand for Something" in 1991, he has charted nine Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, in addition to recording nine studio albums and a Greatest Hits compilation.

Born in Pensacola, Florida, but raised in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, Tippin performed in local honky-tonks in the 1970s. 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, The Midsouth Boys, 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.

Tippin performed his first Nashville nightclub show in 1990, and it earned him a contract with RCA records. His first single, "You've Got to Stand for Something", cracked the top 10 in 1991 and allowed him to go to the Persian Gulf with Bob Hope, to entertain the troops. Then, in 1992, Aaron's single "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong With the Radio" stayed at No. 1 for three weeks.

In 1995, Tippin married the former Thea Corontzos, and he, Thea, and his manager, Billy Craven, created Tippin's company, Tip Top Entertainment. Tippin also opened two hunting supply stores called Aaron Tippin Firearms. One is located close to where he lives in Smithville, Tennessee, and the other was run by his late father Willis in Oak City, North Carolina. Willis Emory "Tip" Tippin died in 2005 in a traffic accident. Thea has co-written several of Aaron's songs (including the Number One "Kiss This"); in addition, Aaron and Thea recorded a duet called "Love Like There's No Tomorrow" in 2003.

In 1998, Tippin moved to Hollywood Records, where he recorded one album and landed a Top 10 hit with "For You I Will". By 2000, he had switched to Lyric Street Records and charted a No. 1 hit with "Kiss This", co-written with his wife Thea in 2000 . In the wake of 9/11, his patriotic anthem, "Where the Stars and Stripes and Eagle Fly", peaked at No. 2. Both songs crossed over onto the Hot 100 charts.

In 2006, Tippin formed his own record label -- Nippit Records, a joint partnership with Rust Nashville.

Tippin is noted for his singing voice, a baritone with a heavy, nasal Southern twang.