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Two self-titled "hardest working" names in country music are coming to the Heartland Events Center.
Aaron Tippin, with special guest Ricochet, will perform on Saturday in Grand Island.
Tippin, 49, is touring to promote two albums, "Now & Then" and "He Believed," the latter of which will be released at Cracker Barrel Restaurants on May 6.
"Now & Then" is a mixture of new songs and some of Tippin's greatest hits, while "He Believed" includes a song about Tippin's father, who passed away a few years ago.
Both albums are part of Tippin's own label, Nippit Records. He parted ways with Lyric Street records in 2004 and said the departure has been a breath of creative fresh air.
"It's exciting to get into the studio and just let the players make music without an executive breathing down our necks," he said. "There's no big machine. We just let the music be what it is. It's so refreshing. It's wonderful to be doing what I came to Nashville to do."
Tippin began performing in the 1970s and competed on TNN's "You Can Be a Star" TV talent contest in 1985. In those early days, he worked a midnight-to-dawn shift at a Kentucky factory, commuted to music row to write songs, lifted weights, went to bed and did the entire routine again the next day, according to his Web site.
His dedication paid off when, in 1990, he did his first Nashville night club show. The performance earned him a recording contract with RCA. Before ever going on tour, Tippin traveled to Saudi Arabia to do a USO tour with Bob Hope during the Gulf War. Traveling overseas to perform for American troops is something Tippin continues to do.
"I'm proud of being a patriot," he said. "I want our troops to know they are loved and appreciated."
In addition to his new songs, Tippin is known for such hits as "Working Man's Ph.D.," "Kiss This," "You've Got to Stand for Something" and "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong With the Radio."
Five of Tippin's RCA albums became gold records, and one went platinum. He has also enjoyed success as a songwriter for other country singers, including Garth Brooks, Charley Pride and Kenny Chesney, according to his Web site.
While he has performed in Nebraska before, Saturday might mark his first trip to Grand Island. Tippin said he is used to doing shows in a variety of venues ranging in size from 80,000 fans at an Air Force base to 1,000 people in a casino. He said he enjoys the grandness of the large venues but likes the intimacy of the smaller places, too.
"It doesn't matter to me if it's 10 or 10,000," he said. "It's the same to me. It's the same show."
Regardless of venue size, Tippin takes the time to put together a bicycle during each concert. After the show, the bike is donated to the community's Toys for Tots program. Tippin said he started the donations several years ago, and they've been very popular. He even fielded complaints when he took the bike making out of his shows.
Tippin said he chose a bike because the toy seemed to be universal with children and the portion of the show reminds his fans that children in their area need toys.
In Grand Island, concert attendees will also be treated to the music of Ricochet, a five-man musical group that has become one of the most popular singing groups in country music.
According to their Web site, they were named Best New Vocal Group by the Academy of Country Music and Billboard magazine, and they were recently named Vocal Group of the Year by the ACM and CMA.
They are also the first country music artists to chart the national anthem on Billboard's Top 40. Their songs include "What Do I Know," "Love Is Stronger Than Pride" and the No. 1 hit "Daddy's Money."
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