Staind frontman Aaron Lewis bringing country to Columbus

For Aaron Lewis , frontman for alt-metal band Staind, country music is more than a side gig — it's a second career that has expanded his fanbase.

The singer-guitarist known as the voice of rock hits like "It's Been Awhile," "Fade" and "So Far Away" has found success on the country charts, with two No. 1 albums and a platinum-certified collaboration with George Jones and Charlie Daniels .

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Presented by WCOL-FM (92.3), Lewis will bring his "American Patriot" tour to the WCOL Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center on Dec. 5. Rising country star Shane Profitt will join him as the special guest.

Tickets start at $33.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at patriot.eventbrite.com .

Lewis has said in interviews that country music seemed a logical step in his career since it was the soundtrack to his childhood summers with his grandfather.

In addition to teaming up with country legends Jones and Daniels on the single "Country Boy," Lewis scored a No. 1 single in 2021 with the political protest song, "Am I the Only One."

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His 2022 album, "Frayed at Both Ends," reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and was the top-selling country album in the U.S. at the time of its release. His latest album, "The Hill," was released in March.

In case Staind fans who didn't see the band at Sonic Temple this year are wondering, yes, they're still making music together. Their first album in 12 years, "Confessions of the Fallen," came out last year.

bpaschal@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Staind frontman Aaron Lewis bringing country to Columbus