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Tippin At Point Of Freedom

June 19, 2008 12:15 am

Aaron Tippin was a key figure in the early-'90s country music explosion. The songwriter-turned-star debuted in 1991 with "You've Got to Stand for Something," a track that hit No. 6 on the country charts and became an anthem during the first Gulf War. It was his 1992 No. 1 hit "Ain't Nothin' Wrong With the Radio" that made him a superstar.

Although "Ain't Nothin' Wrong With the Radio" was an up-tempo, cheeky rocker that foreshadowed the genre's growing appeal, Tippin was generally regarded as a new traditionalist--raised on rock, but biased toward the classic sound of country legends like Charley Pride and George Jones.

He brings his unique sensibility to Mr. B's Park in Ladysmith on Saturday.

Tippin had steady success for more than a decade, but now finds himself on the outside of the music industry, taking a critical view of the very machine that made him famous.

"If you're on the majors [record labels], they're looking for something that can get played on the radio," he said. "They're not into the stuff that made country a success in the first place. You've got to keep up with the latest ear candy. If you're not hip, you kind of get put in the stable."

Tippin, true to his blue-collar persona, wasn't happy with his time in the barn, or the status quo in Nashville.

"The industry makes decisions that are based on fear," he said. "It's a corporate atmosphere, and decisions are made out of fear the song won't get played."

Unwilling to compromise, Tippin started his own record label to put out the music he wanted to make.

"I got tired of standing in the stable," he said.

Nippit Records has allowed Tippin to pursue ideas a major label would never consider. He's promoting a greatest-hits album sprinkled with a few new tracks, and he's currently producing a bluegrass project.

"I want to reach deeper into the blue-collar world--do albums based on occupations," he said. "I'm an old truck driver, welder, construction worker, farmhand. I want to make music about those people's lives."

Tippin himself still keeps up with some of his former trades from time to time, he added.

"I try to stay grounded. Every now and then, I'll drop that [welding] shield and burn a few rods to keep the feel."

He can croon a love ballad with the best of them, but those everyman tracks were always his bread-and-butter. Songs like "Working Man's PhD," "I Got It Honest" and "People Like Us" sound particularly convincing coming from Tippin.

That hardworking attitude is serving him well in his new endeavor. Even after 20 years in the business, he feels reborn.

"The machine is just so big now," he said. "For a while, I was just feeding it so it wouldn't eat me."

Now, he gets to make his own machine, one that's geared toward interacting with fans. He wants to give them direct access to his music without the traditional filters of corporate country. Of course, the Internet figures prominently in his plans. It could be a risky move--but Tippin has a tough skin and supportive fans.

"Nobody likes to drink at the head of the stream," he said. "But when it all comes to pass, the music will be better."

And at this point in his career, that's what it's all about, he added.

"I'm not concerned with making music for the big machine--the farm's paid for."

Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
Email: jbeals@freelancestar.com