Aaron Lewis, born April 13, 1972 in Rutland, Vermont, USA, is the lead vocalist of the hard rock/post-grunge group Staind . According to the Country Boy Songfacts, growing up in rural Vermont, Lewis spent summers with his World War II veteran grandfather hunting and fishing. "Country was the background music to my childhood," said the singer. "My grandfather listened to Merle Haggard , Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr. and all of the greats. When Staind did our first tour with Kid Rock in 1999, I rode the bus with him on a couple occasions, and we bonded over this music.