Aaron Lewis | |
|---|---|
 Lewis performing withStaind in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1972-04-13)April 13, 1972 (age 53) Rutland, Vermont, U.S. |
| Origin | Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Staind |
| Website | aaronlewismusic.com |
Aaron Francis Lewis (born April 13, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and founding member of thepost-grunge/alternative metal bandStaind, with whom he released eight studio albums. Since 2010, he has pursued a solo career incountry music with his debut EP,Town Line, which was released in 2011. Lewis's first full-length solo release,The Road, was released by Blaster Records in 2012.[1]
In 2006, Lewis was ranked at number 49 in the "Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists" byHit Parader.[2]
Lewis was born inRutland, Vermont,[3] to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father of Italian, English, and Welsh descent. At the time of his birth on April 13, 1972,[3] his parents were living in a log cabin. Lewis moved to New Hampshire when he was 8, and lived there until he was 12. When his parents split up, he moved with his father toLongmeadow, Massachusetts, where he attendedLongmeadow High School. He also lived inForest Park, Springfield, Massachusetts.[4][5][6]
 | This sectionis missing information about his work with Staind. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(August 2023) |
In July 2010, Lewis finished recording acountry music EP entitledTown Line that was released on March 1, 2011, viaStroudavarious Records. It features seven tracks including three versions of the first single "Country Boy" featuringGeorge Jones,Charlie Daniels, andChris Young, as well as the songs "Massachusetts", "Vicious Circles", "The Story Never Ends", and a re-recording of "Tangled Up in You" originally fromThe Illusion of Progress.[7] Lewis said in a July 2011 interview that he was introduced to country music as a child by his grandfather, but his interest was recently rekindled when he toured with fellow rock turned occasional country singerKid Rock.[8]
Lewis released his first full solo album,The Road, in November 2012. Its debut single, "Endless Summer", has also made the country charts. Lewis wrote every song on the ten track collection, except for "Granddaddy's Gun" which was penned by Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Bobby Pinson, marking the first time Lewis has recorded outside material for an album.[9] In an interview with Broadway's Electric Barnyard, Lewis said he recorded "Granddaddy's Gun" as both a compliment to a friend, and because he was pressed for time.[10]
Lewis wrote songs for his second solo album while touring in support ofThe Road, often performing with Katz Von Brunenburg in his live sets.[11][12] The album, dubbedSinner, was mostly recorded in a single 18 hour session, with many tracks done in one take. Aaron's daughter Zoe also provides guest vocals on one song.[13]
On April 12, 2019, Lewis released his third solo album,State I'm In.[14]
On July 4, 2021, he released "Am I the Only One", a song protesting America's leadership andleft-wing activists.[15]
On October 21, 2021, Lewis released "Goodbye Town" and also announced that he would release his fourth solo albumFrayed at Both Ends on January 28, 2022.[16]
On March 29, 2024, Lewis released his country album,The Hill.[17]
Lewis was featured on the song "No Sex" byLimp Bizkit on their albumSignificant Other. He was also featured on a remix of the song "Crawling" onLinkin Park's first remix albumReanimation (titled as "Krwlng" on the remix album). He contributed vocals to the song "Follow" bySevendust fromAnimosity, and to the songs "Bleed" and "Send in the Clowns" by the bandCold from13 Ways to Bleed on Stage. He's also featured onJimmie's Chicken Shack's song "Falling Out", the only single off their 2004 albumre.present. In December 2010, while promoting hisTown Line album, Lewis collaborated withCorey Taylor for a one-night-onlyacoustic duet show covering songs such asPearl Jam's "Black",Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb", andAlice in Chains' "Down in a Hole".[10]
Lewis resides inWorthington, Massachusetts, with his wife Vanessa, whom he married in 2002; they have three daughters.[18][19] Regarding the commercial success of Staind's albums in the early 2000s, Lewis reflected, "A lot of other people made a shit load of money but we're the same as any of you. I have to work to pay my bills."[20]
Lewis has been open about his struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues, writing about his problems in Staind songs and his country music.[21][circular reference]
In a five-minute interview withOutdoor Life magazine, Lewis said that he has been huntingwhitetail deer since he was old enough to keep up in the "good old woods", around age four or five. He prefers to hunt deer with acompound orrecurve bow, and he occasionally utilizes amuzzleloader.[22] Lewis is a fan of theBoston Red Sox andNew England Patriots.[23][24] He is an avid baseball fan; he famously sang the national anthem before game 1 of the2014 World Series, though received backlash due to him forgetting the words. He had previously criticized pop singerChristina Aguilera for the same offense.[25]
On November 4, 2006, Lewis performed at his old high school inLongmeadow, Massachusetts, and gave all the proceeds to the music department to fund the department's expenses to buy new equipment and supplies.[26] Lewis's main focus, however, is the non-profit organization It Takes a Community, where he and his wife have started to reopen their daughters' elementary school inWorthington, Massachusetts.[27]
Lewis is a vocal supporter of theRepublican Party,[28] known for expressing his conservative views often; Lewis supportedDonald Trump before the2016 election, although he said he was disappointed with his "bickering and name-calling".[29] His tours from 2019 and 2020 featured him wearing aMake America Great Again cap.[30][31] Lewis has been outspoken in his opposition to theCOVID-19 vaccine andmask mandates.[32]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [33] | US Country [34] | ||||||||||||
| The Road |
| 30 | 7 |
| |||||||||
| Sinner |
| 4 | 1 |
| |||||||||
| State I'm In |
| 18 | 2 |
| |||||||||
| Frayed at Both Ends |
| 39 | 5 | ||||||||||
| The Hill[38] |
| 175 | 33 | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Extended play details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [33] | US Country [34] | US Rock [39] | ||
| Town Line |
| 7 | 1 | 3 |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [40] | US Adult [41] | US Alt. [42] | US Country [43] | US Country Airplay [44] | US Heri. Rock [45] | US Main. Rock [46] | US Rock [47] | ||||
| "Outside" (withFred Durst) | 2000 | 56 | 31 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | The Family Values Tour 1999 | ||
| "Country Boy" (featuringGeorge Jones andCharlie Daniels) | 2011 | 87 | — | — | 50 | 20 | 23 | 39 | Town Line | ||
| "Endless Summer" | 2012 | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | The Road | ||
| "Forever" | — | — | — | 50 | 38 | — | — | — | |||
| "Granddaddy's Gun"[49] | 2013 | — | — | — | — | 46 | — | — | — | ||
| "That Ain't Country"[50] | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sinner | |
| "Am I the Only One" | 2021 | 14 | — | — | 1 | 52 | — | — | — |
| Frayed at Both Ends[51] |
| "Let's Go Fishing" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Hill | |
| "Made In China"[52] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Over the Hill"[53] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Country Boy" (version 1)[54] (featuringGeorge Jones andCharlie Daniels) | 2010 | Alex Castino |
| "Country Boy" (version 2)[55] (featuring George Jones and Charlie Daniels) | 2011 | N/a |
| "Endless Summer" (live)[56] | 2012 | Jim Wright |
| "Endless Summer"[57] | ||
| "Forever" (live)[58] | Fran Strine | |
| "Forever"[59] | Jim Wright | |
| "Granddaddy's Gun"[60] | 2013 | |
| "That Ain't Country"[61] | 2016 |
| Year | Association | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | CMT Music Awards | USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year – "Country Boy"[62] | Nominated |
| Collaborative Video of the Year – "Country Boy"(withGeorge Jones andCharlie Daniels)[62] | Nominated |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |