Aaron Tippin made a rockin' return to his hometown of Greer tonight performing at the Village Hospital Greer Family Fest. An energetic crowd, estimated at 6,500 by public safety officers, gave Tippin a rousing welcome.
Tippin performed his hits and shared the stories behind each song. He frequently waved to his friends and acquaintances in the crowd, often calling them by name.
As lightning was flashing in the distance, public safety officials began monitoring the weather. "We escaped one tonight," one official said. Had weather been a factor, the Chamber of Commerce and Tippin were responsible for stopping the concert.
Tippin performed for an hour and returned for an encore performance for a couple of songs. He said how special it was to be back in Greer and to have the support of his hometown family and friends. He wrapped up the evening by performing his hit song "Kiss This".
During Tippin's performance he assembled a bike on stage. He invited Family Fest chairman Rudy Painter to accept the bike on his behalf to donate it as the first toy for the Marine's Toys for Tots initiative. He told Painter: "Rudy, one of these days the Marines are going to come calling. I suggest you give them the bike." The crowd roared its approval. Tippin said he has donated over 1,000 bikes over the years.
Tippin shared his affection with the military and how it helped ignite his association with Bob Hope and the USO tour. He shared the stage with a Marine in full military dress and, with an arm on his shoulder, told him to look over the huge crowd and share with his brothers and sisters in the military, that Greer supports the active and retired military.
Tippin signed every autograph and had his staff take photos of him with fans. It took nearly an hour for Tippin to accommodate every person and signed hats, photos, shirts, and American flags. During the session, friends and acquaintances of Tippin would share stories of their past time together.
Tippin's appearance in Greer, his concert and interaction with his fans proved to be one of the biggest successes the Family Fest has had to date.
