The Tom Hipps Show

A Tom Hipps show is fun, first and foremost. I truly enjoy what I do, and love meeting new people, performing for them and engaging with them. I don't take myself too seriously, though I certainly am serious about doing an exceptional job for my clients. I've been blessed with an excellent singing voice, influenced by early Elton John, Paul McCartney, Elvis, and Bono (U2), among others. I accompany myself with guitar and piano, a vocal harmonizer, and a Porchboard... an electronic gizmo I tap with my foot that gives the music extra fullness and a bit of a beat. My original songs are melodic and catchy, with deep lyrics and a positive message. If you also like to hear familiar songs you've known and loved, I'm more than happy to cover tunes by Paul Simon, Elton John, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Buffet, Elvis, Hank Williams, Eagles, Steve Miller, John Denver, Jim Croce, Tom Petty, Neil Diamond and many other artists. I specialize in 60's & 70's AM radio pop, but also tend to mix in some rockabilly, rhythm-n-blues, gospel, and a touch of classic country. I once received a comment I'll always remember from a fan... she said, "My daughter and I are always fighting over who gets to have your CD in their car!" Gotta love bridging that generation gap with music:)

QUICK NOTE: I love performing Christmas music and can include several yuletide favorites in my repertoire. I'm now booking Holiday events and would love to complement your gathering with seasonal music along with the rest of my rich repertoire of classic popular tunes!

I got my first taste of the music biz when my band of fellow 9th-graders scored a gig playing at a GoodYear Auto Service Center for a crew of beer-drinking mechanics at the end of their shift. As the first song concluded... silence. Until a guy named Roger hollered, "Tune yer #@*& guitar!" After that humble (and humbling) beginning, and lots more after-school rehearsal, my band THE RITZ eventually forged an identity as one of the region's top acts. Our first single, "Face to Face", released when we were still in high school, scored airplay on 4 radio stations (hey, it was a start) and became a jukebox favorite in pizza parlors and teen centers.

Years of touring eventually followed, entailing thousands of shows all over the US and Canada (I got stories!). I have also appeared as a vocalist on several other artists' recording projects, various specialty CD's, and have even done a few advertising jingles. My songs were featured in the films Staring at Headlights and Sarah's Smile, I've written tunes for Chicago's Second City Theater, and my music has been featured on NBC-TV. I appeared as lead vocalist on the 2002 Target Corporation CD Praise & Worship Christmas (32,000 copies sold) and am the recipient of a Billboard Musical Achievement Award. Still, my greatest achievement is simply having been able to entertain, encourage and enrich other people by sharing the musical gifts with which I've been blessed.

I've released seven albums... Everybody & Their Brother, Then Went the Demons, 211 Degrees (with my band From Ordinary), Christmas Peace, a best-of collection entitled The Road So Far, Spiritfruit, and Christmas Hope. My songs have gotten airplay on dozens of radio stations in the US and all over the world, as well as appearing in TV shows on NBC, PBS and HBO. Pretty cool, but it hasn't changed my life all that much... I still do my own laundry:)

I have also released several singles, including the titles "Waiting For You", "Generous", "Music, That Is", "Early on One Christmas Morn" and "(I Wanna Be a) Kid Again at Christmas". My music is available for purchase through my website and most other major online retailers, can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music among others.

You can catch me performing in solo shows; my music duo COSTELLO & HIPPS; or in my band The 22nd Row, a celebration of the music of Elton John. I take great pleasure in occasionally serving as guest musician at various churches, and my associations with the MN Assistance Council for Veterans, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Crossroads Chapel at the MN State Fair, North Memorial Hospital and the Humphrey Cancer Center, and other charitable causes and ministries. I perform several shows a year for residents in assisted living and memory care communities.

One of the turning points in my life & career: I underwent a kidney transplant 25+ years ago. After being diagnosed with chronic kidney failure, I lost my health, my singing voice, and my hope for a future. My sister donated a kidney and God performed a miracle (that's what he does). I got a second chance, and I'm trying to make the most of it. In fact, I wrote a song about the experience, which the MN Kidney Foundation used as their official theme song. Not long after, I was asked to perform that song and tell my story in the rotunda at the Mall of America, and I happily obliged. Any time I'm asked to share a bit of myself through music, more often than not I'm going to take the gig!

I hope you'll consider having me entertain at your event. I'm a seasoned professional, dependable and easy to work with. I'm often complimented on my repertoire, and people love to sing along! I invite you to read my reviews here on the Gig Salad website to instill even more confidence in hiring me!

I bring my own 2-speaker Yamaha PA system suitable for smaller to medium-size rooms (up to approximately 250 capacity) and use LED lights that create a colorful ambiance. I need only one standard electrical outlet, as all of my gear requires just one power strip (which I bring). A performance area of approximately 6' deep x 10' wide is sufficient. Setup/breakdown takes about 30 minutes, give or take.