Aaron Tippin

He was born in Pensacola, Florida, but soon moved to a farm in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

He got his boot in the door in Nashville by working as a songwriter for Acuff-Rose, where he co-wrote songs for Charley Pride, David Ball, and The Kingsmen. His first big hit, written with Mark Collie, was a cut for Garth Brooks called "Something With A Ring To It."

Shortly after landing a record deal with RCA Records, he released his first Top 10 hit, "You've Got To Stand For Something." The patriotic tune earned him an invitation to perform on comedian Bob Hope's USO tour, which brought him to entertain crowds of Desert Storm soldiers. One particular soldier went on to become a mission commander at NASA and brought one of Tippin's albums into space.