About Aaron Tippin
Twenty-Five years – a huge career accomplishment, especially in the music business. Aaron Tippin – who marks his silver anniversary as a recording artist this year – admits that he looks at his career longevity with a little bit of amazement.
“I think about it and go ‘Wow. What am I doing still here?’ I look at the flight that we took off in,” referring to his fellow newcomers at the time of his career launch. “A lot of them are gone, it seems. Some quit by choice. Some ran out from under it, but to be here twenty-five years doing it, I am the luckiest hillbilly that ever lived.”
Tippin says that nobody was any more surprised that he got an invitation to join the roster of Nashville powerhouse RCA back in 1990 than him. In fact, at the time he inked his deal, he had almost given up hope of success as a vocalist, concentrating on his budding career as a songwriter – with cuts from the likes of The Kingsmen, Mark Collie, and Charley Pride.
About Collin Raye
Born Floyd Elliot Wray on August 22, 1960 in De Queens, Arkansas, country artist Collin Raye was one of the true hit makers of the 1990’s. Collin still continues to crank out soulful, heartfelt material with the honesty and richness that is signature to his vocals alone. With 24 top ten records, 16 #1 hits, and having been a 10 time male vocalist of the year nominee (5 CMA and 5 ACM), this truly electrifying performer of his era remains one of the great voices of our time.
Collin Raye is nothing if not passionate. His soulful delivery has set country standards in such searing ballads as “Love, Me,” “In This Life,” “Not That Different” and “If I were you”. Always an energizing showman, he has also blazed through such vivid rockers as “My Kind of Girl,” “That’s My Story,” “I Can Still Feel You” and “I Want You Bad.”
Collin shot to fame with “Love, Me” in 1991. Listeners were so moved by this golden and pure voice that this song set the cornerstone for a career built on meaningful and emotional songs that have often been used for weddings, anniversaries, memorial services and funerals. When “Little Rock”, an anthem for those struggling with addition recovery, hit the chart in 1994, its video led to over 100,000 phone calls to Alcoholics Anonymous from folks seeking help in their addictions. “Not That Different” was a song that pleaded for tolerance. “In This Life” became a wedding favorite, and “I Think About You” won awards for its song and video which exposed the exploitation of women and children.
Collin Raye has consistently used his stardom to advance social causes. Among the organizations he has supported are Boys Town, First Steps, Al-Anon, Special Olympics, Country Cares About AIDS, Catholic Relief Services, Parade of Pennies, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, The Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence, The Emily Harrison Foundation, Childhelp USA, Silent Witness National Initiative, Easter Seals, The Life and Hope Network, and Make a Difference Day. It came as no surprise when in 2001 at the Country Radio Seminar, Clint Black presented Collin Raye with the organization’s Humanitarian of the Year award in recognition of Collin’s issue-oriented music and his tireless charity work.
About Sammy Kersaw
Iconic entertainer, Sammy Kershaw, has amassed three platinum and six gold albums that have scanned and streamed in excess of 5 million records and nearly 100 million combined songs sold. Often referred to as the “heir apparent” to legendary ‘voice’ George Jones, the GRAMMY nominated performer helped shape and make the ‘90s a shining decade for country music. His multi-platinum albums were propelled into the record books by hits such as “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Queen of My Doublewide Trailer”, “I Can’t Reach Her Anymore,” “National Working Woman’s Holiday,” “Love Of My Life,” “Cadillac Style,” “Don’t Go Near The Water,” “Haunted Heart”, “Vidalia” and many other milestones. Growing up in Kaplan, Louisiana, Kershaw was enthralled with the masters at an early age – names like Conway Twitty, Mel Street, and George Jones. In fact, as a teenager, Kershaw had developed such a reputation for his vocals – even then – that he was often called upon to open for those acts, and others like them. Jones was so impressed with Sammy that he frequently invited him to perform on his shows whenever he was playing in the region.
From the time that he released his debut single for Mercury Records, “Cadillac Style,” critics and fans all made the comparison to George. Rather than run from them, Kershaw embraced them. After all, that stone Country sound was what Sammy Kershaw was all about – and that’s what he was going to give his fans! “Cadillac Style” made it up the Billboard charts and, from there (to quote Jones), the race was on! Follow-ups such as “Don’t Go Near the Water” and “I Can’t Reach Her Anymore” established him as one of the finest traditional artists of his time, while records like “Yard Sale” showed that haunting Jones influence was very much a part of everything he is about. In 1993, Sammy Kershaw topped the singles chart with “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” which has become one of the most-played records at Country Radio over the past three decades. Albums such as Don’t Go Near the Water and Haunted Heart were both certified as million-sellers by the RIAA, and only continued to add to his stature. The hits kept coming on the airwaves, as well. He added to his resume such classics as “I Can’t Reach Her Anymore,” “Meant to Be,” his cover of The Amazing Rhythm Aces’ “Third Rate Romance,” and 1998’s “Love of My Life,” which cemented his reputation as a balladeer.