Maple Ridge’s own country music star, Rick Tippe, was inducted into the B.C. Country Music Association Hall of Fame on Sunday during a special show and ceremony in Mission.
“It’s a real honour that they would think that much of my career to do this for me,” said the multiple award winning artist.
But what makes this award even more special to Tippe is being able to share it with his father, Elmer Tippe, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.
“My dad was like ‘the guy’ through the ’70s and ’80s, especially. Dad was playing professionally in the ’50s and ’60s, too. So, he’s a living legend,” said Tippe.
“It’s neat to think him and I will both be in the same Hall of Fame. That’s pretty unique. I don’t think there’s too many individuals on the face of the earth can say that, along with their parent, that they’ve had that type of honour bestowed upon them both,” he continued.
This year marked the BCCMA’s 28th year since the first Hall of Fame induction of Ray McAuley.
Tippe performed two songs during the evening event at the Clarke Theatre.
The first song he performed was The Craziest Thing, a song he attributes to the success of his career.
“It’s kind of the song that really made a difference as far as my career going from just an average guy to one of the top guys at the time,” said Tippe.
Part of that success was also due to the video.
“The music video is probably one of the ones I’m most proud of to this day, even though it was only my fourth music video ever,” he said.
He also remembers when specialty country music channel CMT got a hold of the video.
“They said something to the effect that Rick Tippe’s on the leading edge of today’s country music. And so they played that video like crazy. It really moved me up the ladder, quite a few rungs, when that song, that new album and that video came out. It was huge for me,” laughed Tippe.
The second song he performed was one he considers the most rewarding he ever wrote called Keeping The Faith. He wrote it for a lady he met in Ontario who was a cancer survivor. He met her eight years after doctors told her she had six months to live.
“People just loved [the song] to no end,” said Tippe.
“People would come to my shows just because of that song or would send me emails thanking me for that song. It was just very powerful,” he continued.
Both Tippe’s parents, his wife, children and good friends attended the event.
His father presented him with the award.
Tippe retired from the music industry after his final show on Aug. 12, 2011.
“Writing was so rewarding, going to the studio and recording the songs and shooting the videos and then going on stage and sharing it with people,” said Tippe, fondly thinking back over his career.
He misses most the people he had the opportunity to meet and the camaraderie of his band.
Being inducted into the Hall of Fame was not about him, but those who supported Tippe through the years.
“I’m the horse in front of the cart type. They see me first, but on the cart behind me, supporting me, they’re just so, so many people,” said Tippe.
• Several other country music musicians were honoured during the evening as well, including Kenny Hess of Mission, Anne Lord of Chilliwack, Gerry King (deceased) of Surrey, Terry Gray of Langley, Bill Rea (deceased) of California, Sue Irving of Surrey, Les Redekopp of Surrey, Jim Howe of Surrey and Dan Earl Knecht of Kamloops.
