It's not often that you celebrate the birthday of a country music favorite and the entire country on the same night.

But that's exactly what's happening next week in Missoula when songwriter and hitmaker Aaron Tippin comes to Arlee next Wednesday to celebrate both milestones with a big show.

And we're giving away tickets to the show so you can kick off your Independence Day celebrations in style. Let's take a closer look at some of the details.

Tippin is a working-class hero

Although Aaron is a country music star with many big hits, he comes from a working-class background and worked as a truck driver, pipe fitter and even a pilot before his breakthrough in 1990.

The connection to Montana was formed shortly thereafter when he met his wife, a native of Great Falls, and with whom he began a love affair and the founding of the “Electric City,” which continues to this day.

“We go there once or twice a year,” Tippin told me Thursday, adding that the tours are a great opportunity to see old friends.

“I fell in love with Great Falls when I fell in love with the girl from Great Falls. I'm currently working on getting a draw so I can go elk hunting in Montana. That would be really exciting.”

Songs that make you think

Aaron's secret to success has always been writing for his blue-collar fans, and songs like “Ain't Nothing Wrong with the Radio,” which celebrates an old truck with little to offer other than a great stereo, still sound relevant today when trucks cost $100,000.

“These songs were for people who live the real life.” -Aaron Tippin

Songs that inspired in difficult times

Tippin's first hit, “You've Got to Stand for Something,” became the anthem for soldiers in the Gulf War in 1990. Almost a decade later, “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly” struck a chord in the weeks following the September 11 attacks. This number was actually recorded, but had been rejected by his record company a few years earlier.

“You know, I didn't realize that this was all in God's hands,” Tippin reflects. “This song had a higher purpose and it was obvious. When 9/11 happened, I didn't want to say anything to America anymore.”

Aaron says he didn't want to write a song about how our country is “being ripped off,” but about “who we are” when the going gets tough.

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The show on Wednesday

Tippin will be playing at Montana Cattle Lack Ranch's beautiful new Freedom Jam, which begins at 3 p.m. on July 3 north of Arlee. He will take the stage at 7 p.m. and will be available for autographs afterward. Tickets are available on the ranch's website.

We also gave some away to lucky KYSS listeners. Denny Bedard will be giving away another 4-pack on Friday afternoon on “The Drive Home with Denny Bedard.” And Ace Sauerwein will be giving away another 4-pack of tickets during his remote broadcast at Bob Ward's in Missoula on Saturday. Just download the KYSS mobile app and wait for him to tell you to come over. Be the first to show you have the app installed to win.