Along with being one of the gathering points for Naval Aviation;
Pensacola, Florida is also the birthplace of a popular country
music artist who has made aviation a big part of his life.
Born Aaron Dupree Tippin, his path to aviation actually seemed
more certain than his path to country music stardom. According to
Aaron, aviation "actually, was my first love." While he is reported
to have started playing the guitar at age ten, he also inherited a
love and appreciation for all things aviation from his Dad, who had
been employed as a pilot before he became a farmer. Aaron earned
his tickets at an early age and was flying commercially in his late
teens. Hoping to pursue a career in the airlines, it was
misfortunes in that industry that turned him back to his other
love, music, for some means to make a living.
According to his bio, "Tippin began performing in local honky
tonks in the 1970's. He competed on the TNN"s 'You Can Be A Star'
TV talent contest in 1985, landed a songwriter's contract and moved
to Music City in 1986. Always a focused and purposeful man, Tippin
created a work routine that was Spartan in its intensity. He worked
the midnight - to - dawn shift at a factory in Kentucky, commuted
to music row to write songs, lifted weights late every afternoon,
went to bed, got up and did the whole routine over again, day after
day."
Tippin performed his first Nashville night club show in 1990. It
earned him a recording contract with RCA records. Before ever
setting foot on tour, he was afforded the opportunity to join Bob
Hope on a USO tour to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. After Aaron
came home, hits for RCA led to concert dates with such superstars
as Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire and Hank Williams Jr. Tippin
became one of the most memorable country personalities of the 90's.
Success as a songwriter for others also continued as Garth Brooks,
Charley Pride and Kenny Chesney recorded Tippin tunes.
Tippin has since made quite an impact on the country music
world... with some nine studio albums and two compilations to his
credit along with five 'gold' and one 'platinum' record(s). He's
had three number one hits... "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong with the
Radio" in 1992, "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You"
in 1995, and the unforgettable "Kiss This" in 2000. He has more
than thirty singles on the Billboard 'Hot Country Songs'
charts.
Above it all, though, his love for aviation remains
undeniable... and a recent initiative of his to bring his act to
airshow and aviation events should find him a ready audience among
folks who can appreciate this flyer's other talents. Tippin owns a
Stearman, Piper Cub, a Helio-Courier and a Super Decathlon.
Yup... this guy is one of us.
NTSB Final Report: Rutan Long-EZ
See All