Cowboy culture in TN?

So I’m definitely not from TN but I’m fascinated by the state since visiting. Before visiting for a week, the only thing I knew about TN was from country music and the Hannah Montana movie. Due to both, I had the impression that TN had some cowboy culture where people wear cowboy hats and cowboy boots often. However, after learning more about the state, I realized that it isn’t a cowboy state at all (thats more like Texas and Nebraska where my family is from) but that people still wear cowboy boots? I was in East TN and it seemed like the standard uniform for teens were cowboy boots and a bass pro-shop hat. Country music artists like Morgan Wallen also seem to wear cowboy boots often.

I’m just curious when cowboy boots and stuff became so popular in TN if its never been a cowboy state? Or were cowboy boots just a popular thing to wear for anybody who worked on farms, etc? Or did it become more popular with country music and the western influence in it?