CRESCENT People: Aaron Tippin (Part 2)
THE RECORDING INDUSTRY TODAY
It’s still the same old way. There are still no stars ever born without a great song. You’ve got to have a great song, and it always starts there. That hasn’t changed. That’s one thing in the music business that hasn’t changed, you’ve got to have a great song. If you do, then that’s the first step. And then just like you said, some young guy who’s really a whiz on these computers can do amazing things with a small bank account can come out with a good sounding record. Everybody, what they call garage bands or basement bands, put out an album that’s just terrific. And they do it just off their computers or laptops.
ON AARON’S iPOD
On the bus, we listen to any great singer. That may range from Frank Sinatra to, heck, to Faron Young. Everything in between. We’ve got quite an array of music we listen to on the bus.
THE CURENT CLASS OF COUNTRY ARTISTS
Pretty different from what we did except for Jamie Johnson, maybe Brad Paisley, pretty different from what I did. They’re the only guys doing country music the way I did. It’s very different, Taylor Swift. Really, girls are kind of ruling the roost right now. More power to ‘em. I have a little trouble relating to Taylor because her songs are really aimed and geared toward a younger audience so that’s probably something that’s different. It’s hard for me to grasp, but you know what? She’s selling a lot of records and obviously doing very well.
OUTSIDERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
I think the first thing anybody talks about South Carolina, the first thing they think of is Myrtle Beach. There’s nothing bad about that. You know, golly, I’ll watch the news and there’ll be something about South Carolina comes up, but there are just as many states and just as many problems that come up. Just as many things that are distasteful that come up on the political scene or whatever but I don’t think we got ‘em any more than anybody else. I think when folks look at South Carolina from the outside, it’s a pretty laid back state. Come here to go to the beach on a big vacation. Golly, I guess we’ve got some of the best golf courses in the world at Myrtle Beach, along the coast. I’m a mountain boy, and quite a few people now are moving up to that area so I think our state’s a cool little state. Like I said, boy, I’m always proud to be from here.
COMING HOME
I always have to go by The Li’l Rebel and get steak fingers and a chili dog. And if I’m in the Upstate and we’re drinking from the Greenville reservoir, I got to have a drink of water from the tap. I’ve got to have a drink of that water. To me, that’s the best water I’ve ever put in my mouth. Every time I come across those hills, I try to stop somewhere and stick my head under a spigot.
A DIFFERENT LINE OF QUESTIONING
Now, I guess they’ve asked me about being hit by lightning twice, almost being plucked out of a baby carriage by an osprey – by the head. I can’t think about much else there is to say.
SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS AND VISITING OVERSEAS
I’m getting ready to leave my family, yes, there’s some risk involved. I do feel very comfortable with our troops. Americans with lots of guns. I’m as safe as I can be. However, there’s an enemy down there, and they can shoot us down as easy as they could the helicopter right behind us. I think you don’t think about that. You think about we’re going to get out there and we’re going to give these guys a little taste of home. When you’re 50 miles outside the wire, there’s not much there, everybody now and then you’ll pass a shepherd and a flock of sheep. You’ll land at a forward operations base and there are the special operations guys. You’ll go jump in a bunker somewhere, play them a few songs, jump back on the helicopter and head back in. That’s generally, how we do it and then we do our …when we arrive at the major base, my crew guys and most of my band guys will stay there and build the stage or put our equipment on the stage to get ready to do the show and me and Dave, my guitar player, we jump in the helicopter and head out the forward operating bases and entertain special forces guys who don’t get anything.
They usually get turkey and Thanksgiving in a bag, but that’s usually what we do and it’s rewarding. I mean, when I come back every time, I’m so proud to be an American, I’m so proud of them, who they are and the job they do. What wonderful, great, merciful warriors they are. They’re the greatest on earth. There is more compassion for the citizens than, I’m sure, any other armed force on the planet. These guys have total regard for the citizens, and their collateral damage is important. When they’re after somebody, what’s going to happen if they do this is important. It’s important. That’s the way we do it. That’s how we think. That’s who we are. It is so different from other countries and how they would conduct war and how we watch them conduct war around the world. We’re definitely a different breed of people.
RESONATING WITH REGULAR AMERICA
Working class America, that’s the meat and taters of the Aaron Tippin career, without a doubt. It’s the music, it’s songs like “You Got to Stand for Something.” It’s songs like “Working Man’s PhD,” “I Got It Honest.” You know, those … I’ve never been one to just put out the next greatest love song. I’m about lifestyle, and that’s what all my music is about. “Big Boy Toys” is another good example. The real people of this world, that’s who I think I’m entertaining, the good working class Americans. Man, it’s an honor to get to do it a little bit different from everybody else. Now, I’m not out there hunting for a love song, I’m hunting for a song that’s going to move them and who they are in their life and about their life and about their job and their family, and their home. That’s where I want to entertain them.
For Part 1, click HERE.
