Pipe down there yankee!I didn't know that if you grew up in other states, you couldn't be country. That's about like saying real rodeos aren't in the north. Tell that to Pendleton, Ore. or Calgary, Canada.
All I can say is that Aaron's father was a country musician, so he grew up country. Rock was his rebellion.
Country music has the connotation of being "Southern", but that doesn't necessarily dictate the musical style. The problem is when a northern artist tries to throw in a southern drawl, and it just doesn't sound right. The drawl is another one of those connotations, but isn't strictly necessary. Heck Tim McGraw is from Louisiana, but sounds more like he's from somewhere north of the Mason Dixon. Last I checked he's still popular (emphasis on the pop).