09/10/03

Two country music stars, Aaron Tippin and Patty Loveless, are coming to town next month to help celebrate the Navy's 228th birthday.

The pair will perform a free concert Oct. 10 at Town Point Park in Norfolk as part of Navy Days, a series of events sponsored by the city of Norfolk and area businesses. Navy Days was previously known as Fleet Week.

Tippin, a Florida native who grew up in South Carolina, has sold millions of compact discs, and placed more than a dozen songs on the country charts. His No. 1 hits include "There Ain't Nothing Wrong with the Radio," "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You," and "Kiss This."

Kentucky-born Loveless enjoyed a string of hits starting in the 1980s. Those included "Timber, I'm Falling in Love," "Chains," and "Lonely Too Long." By 2001, though, she had turned to bluegrass with "Mountain Soul," a critically acclaimed collection of tunes inspired by the sound of the Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe.