VALDOSTA — Playing country music has kept Kip Moore away from his old South Georgia stomping grounds for several years. This weekend, music brings the country star back home.

Moore plays Saturday at the Valdosta State University Complex.

A Tifton native, Moore attended VSU on a golf scholarship in the early 2000s. In 2004, he packed his black Nissan truck and moved to Nashville, Tenn.

He hasn’t been to VSU or Valdosta since, he said in a recent phone interview.

He recalled playing music at several old Remerton clubs, such as the area’s first Mellow Mushroom, Bungalow’s, Charley O’Corley’s. Moore played mostly covers then but he did try a few originals on the South Georgia audiences.

“The songs then were not what they are now,” Moore said.

Now, his songwriting has garnered him hits and recordings such as “Somethin’ ’Bout a Truck,” “Drive Me Crazy,” “Dirt Road,” etc.

He’s seen plenty of dirt roads, highways and air routes. He’s played venues throughout the United States. He recently toured Europe and plans to return there in early 2016.

“We’ve been playing and building a fan base before we were even on the radio,” Moore said.

In recent weeks, Moore has completed recording his latest album, which will likely be released this summer.

Though he would not share the planned name for the new album, he said he may perform a few songs from it during the VSU concert.

He has always planned to return to his alma mater to play a concert, but Moore had hoped to do so a few more albums and a few more hits down the road.

Several months ago, the VSU concert date opened, and he felt the time to come home is now.

Rising stardom hasn’t changed Moore, he said, though it has changed the way he must schedule shows.

He said he still has the same phone number he’s had for years. Old friends can easily contact him, but he can no longer book a show off the cuff.

People will still call him early on a given week and ask if he can play a show that weekend. Many of his shows are now booked up to a year and a half in advance.

So, this weekend may be the last chance to hear Kip Moore live in Valdosta for a long time to come.