There’s just something about the Christmas season that feels magical. There’s a little more joy. A little more kindness. More giving, more love and more grace. That magic is something that Aaron Watson looks to live out beyond just the month of December and thanks to the places and people his career has connected him with, he is able to be a part of gifts that keeps on giving.
THE BEGINNING
Twenty-five years ago, Aaron Watson stepped into the world of music because he couldn’t imagine himself doing anything else. It was his passion.
He had backup plans just in case, but deep down, he knew he would be successful despite the challenges that would accompany the industry. He set out with realistic goals and was determined to do what was needed to make ends meet. Twenty-five years later, Watson is fully immersed in his music with a large, loyal following and has performed over 3000 shows to date.
For Watson, now feels like just the beginning.
“I feel like I’m just at the tip of the iceberg,” Watson said. “I am more driven and hungrier than I have ever been and have more freedom musically than ever before.”
And although he has hit his stride with his career, between music industry politics, the Covid pandemic, and vocal cord surgery, not once but twice in the last several years, it has been apparent to Watson that challenges are inevitable, but outlook is everything. Watson shared a line from one of his upcoming songs that says, ‘What doesn’t stop you in your tracks is just a little bump in the road,’ and he tackles setbacks with that mentality every time.
On stage, Watson is an engaging performer, talented musician and has all the tools needed to captivate an audience, but behind the scenes, being a songwriter is his favorite aspect of who he is as an artist.
“Songwriting is my golf, my fishing, my hunting,” Watson said. “When I get into writing a song, everything else takes a backseat.”
That writing typically takes place in his garage-turned-weight room in the early hours of the morning and it’s a God-given gift that allows his heart to share meaningful messages to the world with music as his backdrop. To date, Watson has written hundreds of songs, 20 albums worth and lots that didn’t make the cut. His upcoming album will feature what he believes is his best songwriting to date, another reason Watson feels as though he has just started scratching the surface of his potential.
FINDING BALANCE
Between songwriting, touring and balancing family time, Watson and his wife, Kim, have learned to manage the sometimes grueling schedule, gracefully and graciously, and he acknowledges that the years have flown by in the process.
“Yesterday, I got married. I blinked, and we had a 3-year-old, 18-month-old and a newborn,” Watson said. “I blinked again, and I’ve got three in high school.”
Jack, Jake and Jolee Kate are his and Kim’s pride and joy, and with the way time is passing, Watson recognizes that family time is sacred, now more than ever.
When the kids were young, he dubbed himself king of the redeye flights as he would travel back and forth even if it meant just a day sporadically at home. As they have gotten older, the challenge is different due to social lives and activities, but they work hard to keep it a priority.
FINDING PURPOSE
In addition to music and family, Watson’s faith is instrumental to who he is at the core, and his desire to love and serve his community has created some really special connections throughout the years.
One of those connections took place over 15 years ago when Watson and Mark Hewitt, the director of Love and Care Ministries, met through a mutual friend. That meeting transpired into a partnership that both Hewitt and Watson care deeply about and through their friendship and the ministry, it has launched Watson into fully living out his purpose.
Love and Care Ministries started in January 1995 when Hewitt began feeding homeless people out of the back of his truck with a friend. That seemingly small start has now impacted the Big Country in big ways thanks to people like Watson and others that have seen such value in what the program has to offer.
“The work Mark is doing through Love and Care Ministries spreads the gospel,” Watson said. “It helps people get back on their feet, improve their lives and treats humans with the respect, love and dignity that they deserve.”
Seeing the heart of the ministry in action early on led Watson to want to do more. His hope was of course to raise money, but also to educate and raise awareness for the organization in the community, so he and Hewitt began doing benefits through golf tournaments and concerts.
Watson remembers when the ministry was housed in a single building. Now, it spans a city block. It went from meals being served from a pickup truck, to serving 1200-1500 meals every day in the Big Country.
“They truly are the hands and feet of Jesus,” Watson said.
Hewitt sees Watson in the same light recognizing his impact.
“He’s a great friend to both me and the ministry,” Hewitt said, “and Aaron’s commitment to raise money for Love and Care has been a huge help in funding our Care Packs for Kids program through local schools.”
Just like the rest of the ministry has experienced massive growth, the Care Packs for Kids program is no exception. It has grown exponentially since its inception 5 years ago where production has increased 500% in that time thanks to the generosity of Watson and others. It’s projected that this year, 71,000 care packs will be distributed through 10 school districts in a nine month time span feeding students and families over the weekends when they might otherwise have to go without.
As with any great ministry, volunteers and donors help programs like this succeed daily, but for Watson’s portion, the primary financial generator is ‘An Aaron Watson Family Christmas’ show which is a family friendly celebration that Watson had a vision for several years ago. The concert series enables Watson to spread Christmas cheer and thanks to the monetary donation he gives Love and Care from the concert and silent auction proceeds, he gets to be a part of a gift that keeps on giving as the Care Packs program blesses people week after week and month after month.
In addition to his desire to raise awareness and money for Love and Care through his Christmas concerts, Watson’s hope was that they might create new traditions for families and give them something extra to look forward to during the Christmas season. On a personal level, it has done just that for his crew. The Watson family all plays a part in the Christmas celebration and finds joy in giving back, too.
A HEART OF GRATITUDE
When Watson reflects back on where he started and where he is now, he’s got nothing but gratitude and feels like the luckiest man in the world. He has traveled to 47 states, has been to Europe 11 different times and has opportunities daily that lots of people just dream about, and because of his platform, he can give more generously and support ministries like Love and Care in substantial ways.
“It hasn’t always been fancy, but it has always been fun,” Watson said. “I love making people happy and I’m blessed to do what I do. I’ve been riding a bus for 20 years and there hasn’t been a night that I don’t crawl into my bunk and say ‘Thank you God’.”
And for Hewitt, he thanks God for the gifts, talents and generosity of people like Watson that have helped transform his vision into something more than he could ever have imagined.
‘An Aaron Watson Family Christmas’ concerts will be on December 20th and 21st at The Paramount Theatre.
By Nicole Fletcher
Photos By Chrissy Nix and Omar Ortiz
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