ABILENE, Texas — Aaron Watson has always been passionate about performance.
As a child, he would spend time with his father listening to classic musicians like The Rolling Stones, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson while his mother would encourage him to sing, both in the church pews and at home.
"Music's always been a passion for me," Watson said. "I mean, even when I was a young kid, listening to my dad's old vinyl records and listening to the lyrics and also my mom, mom encouraging me to sing at church."
An Amarillo native, Watson eventually went on to study at and play baseball for Abilene Christian University, but an injury caused his plans to change. Instead of focusing on sports, Watson turned back to his love of song, using his West Texas upbringing as inspiration for his lyricism.
From "San Angelo" to "July in Cheyenne", the singer-songwriter shares his love of the country with approximately 660,000 monthly Spotify listeners.
Most recently, he has spent time writing on his remote family ranch, complete with a canyon view, acoustic guitar on the shelf and his cat named Bronco by his side.
"You write about the life that you lived, where you grew up, the people and I truly believe that West Texans are the most friendliest, most kindhearted people in the world and I can say that 'cuz I've been around the world," he said.
As of late, Watson took inspiration from his daughter and famed female singers to create his newest album, Cover Girl, playing renditions of hits like Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" and Jules Shear's "All Through the Night."
Starting Dec. 1, the singer plans to perform across West Texas for his "Aaron Watson Family Christmas" tour, starting in his hometown of Amarillo and ending in the Abilene area.
His daughter is set to join him on stage along with his two sons throughout various parts of the show, including a segment for prayer and readings. With a mix of country and Christmas, he wants to offer that West Texas feel for everyone.
"It's something that I wanted to do for all of West Texas to give all our fans and their families a wonderful Christmas experience, an opportunity for them to make memories with their loved ones," he said.
Some of his holiday songs include "Jingle Bells" featuring his wife Kimberly, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with his son, Jake, and "Lonely Lonestar Christmas."
Each year going forward, Watson wants to add more tour stops, emphasizing the idea of family in each Texas town.
"It's an opportunity for people to bring the whole family and to just kick off the holiday season," he said.
From Lubbock to New Braunfels, Watson's message is clear with faith, performance and family at the forefront.
Tickets for his tour are on sale now at aaronwatson.