Jason Aldean is ruggedly handsome, but he doesn't often elicit the swoons of female fans the way Kenny Chesney does.

Aldean is a talented interpreter, but he doesn't have the jaw-dropping vocal skills of Martina McBride.

He might smell great, but he hasn't inspired cologne companies to create his own fragrance, unlike Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift.

But Aldean has one talent in which he is without peer: He will rock your country hats off.

"There's singers and then there's entertainers," the 34-year-old country singer said in an interview. "For me, entertaining is what I've built my career on."

The Georgia native with a passion for the Southern rock of his childhood has always been known for his charisma, stage presence and Springsteenesque shows. But it wasn't until this year that he could rightly claim a spot in the lofty top tier of country stars, including those who are instantly recognizable by their first names, such as Reba, Brad, Blake and Keith.

He is tied with three other musicians (Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and Blake Shelton) for the most CMA nominations for the Nov. 9 awards show, and for the first time landed a nomination for the night's highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.

The accolades are based not just on his stage show but his remarkable fourth album, 2010's "My Kinda Party," which has launched four irresistible chart-topping singles: the title track, "Don't You Wanna Stay" (with Kelly Clarkson), "Dirt Road Anthem" and "Tattoos on This Town."

This year he was on track to break the record for most ringtones purchased in history with "Dirt Road Anthem," which is possibly the weirdest No. 1 country song in history, with Aldean, ahem, rapping.

Aldean — who says his own ringtone is John Mellencamp's "Human Wheels" — said the highlight of his life is keeping audiences "in the palms of [my] hands for two hours and 30 minutes." Before he arrives onstage, his dressing room is converted into a bar. "A shot of Patron, a few beers and I'm ready to go," he said.

The album "My Kinda Party" was also a labor of love. Aldean admitted that he spent about a month practicing rapping the lyrics in the verse of "Dirt Road Anthem" and selected Clarkson as a duet performer because she was "unpredictable, someone a little different." He has sold almost 2 million copies in an era when people supposedly don't buy albums anymore.

Sales have exceeded his expectations, Aldean said of "My Kinda Party," which was released last November. "I had no idea that a year later we'd still be selling 30,000 copies a week."

Aldean's opening acts are "Nashville Star" winner Chris Young and Thompson Square, who scored No. 1 country hits this year with "Tomorrow" and "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not," respectively.

Young, 26, has been on a roll since winning the TV competition in 2006. The native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., had charted four straight No. 1 singles since 2009: "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)," "The Man I Want to Be," "Voices" and "Tomorrow" (which was then pushed out of the No. 1 spot by "Dirt Road Anthem").

The baritone has previously opened for Rascal Flatts and Alan Jackson. And it was just announced that Young will open for Miranda Lambert when her tour stops in Salt Lake City early next year. "It's nice to sit back and learn," Young said in an interview. "Watching [Aldean], you can feel the audience feeding off on him."

One characteristic that separates Young from other emerging country singers is that he has become a co-writer of most of his hits. His songs showcase his distinctive voice while sharing the pain of lovelorn loss and the joy of small-town life. "The songs that are speaking to me seem to speak to other people," he said. "I want people to stop and think and say, 'I've been there. That happened to me.' "

His voice draws from his upbringing, Young said. His grandfather, Richard Yates, was a performer on "Louisiana Hayride," the prominent radio country music show (later on TV) that featured a young Elvis Presley in 1954. "Anytime we'd go to my grandparents' house for Christmas, we'd play old Marty Robbins songs," Young said.

The other opener, the duo Thompson Square, also shares a strong family connection, as Keifer Thompson and Shawna Thompson are married. (You could call them Thompson Squared.)

The two have been performing on Aldean's tour all summer. Their self-titled debut album was released in February and produced by Aldean's touring band.

In an interview, Keifer said the two aspiring solo singers met in 1996, the first week they stepped foot in Nashville. "We've been together ever since," he said.

Shawna grew up in tiny Chatom, Ala., learning traditional country songs from her guitar-playing father. Keifer was raised in Miami, Okla., where he was exposed to music ranging from Roger Miller and Merle Haggard to punk rock and heavy metal before finding his biggest influences in Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.

"They're such prolific songwriters," Keifer said. "I consider Springsteen's 'Tunnel of Love' a country album. I think country is a lifestyle, not a genre. It's how you treat people, how you're grounded. You grow up like that."

The two are nominated for two CMAs: New Artist of the Year and Vocal Duo of the Year. It's sweet success after spending more than a decade playing dives, waiting to earn a record contract. But success means something different to them. "It's not about the perks," Keifer said. "It's about being validated."

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Tattoos on this town

P Jason Aldean with Chris Young and Thompson Square.

When • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m.

Where • Maverik Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City

Tickets • $54.75 and $40.75 at Ticketmaster outlets or at maverikcenter.com.