Hayley Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hayley Williams
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Williams performing in April 2023
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hayley Nichole Williams |
| Born | December 27, 1988 Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Origin | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
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Hayley Nichole Williams (born December 27, 1988) is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer of the rock band Paramore. Hayley also writes songs and plays instruments like keyboards, piano, and guitar.
Hayley was born in Meridian, Mississippi. When she was 13, her parents divorced, and she moved with her mom to Franklin, Tennessee. There, she met her future bandmates and started Paramore in 2004. Paramore has released six studio albums, including Riot! and This Is Why. Hayley is the only member who has been in the band for all six albums.
Besides Paramore, Hayley has worked on other music projects. She sang "Teenagers" for the movie Jennifer's Body. She also teamed up with artists like B.o.B on the hit song "Airplanes" and Zedd on "Stay the Night". In 2023, she sang on "Castles Crumbling" for Taylor Swift's album Speak Now. Hayley has also released her own solo albums, Petals for Armor (2020) and Flowers for Vases / Descansos (2021).
Hayley also has other interests, like her hair dye company, Good Dye Young.
Contents
Hayley Williams's Early Life
Hayley Nichole Williams was born on December 27, 1988, in Meridian, Mississippi. Her parents are Joey and Cristi Williams. She has two younger half-sisters.
In 2002, after her parents divorced, Hayley and her mom moved to Franklin, Tennessee. At her new school, she met Josh Farro and Zac Farro, who would later become her bandmates. Soon after moving, she started taking singing lessons. She also joined a local funk cover band called The Factory, where she met Jeremy Davis.
Hayley's Music Journey
Paramore: The Band's Story
In 2003, when Hayley was 14, she was discovered by managers Dave Steunebrink and Richard Williams. They signed her to a two-year music deal. At first, a record label called Atlantic Records wanted her to be a solo pop artist. But Hayley wanted to be in a band and play pop punk music.
Atlantic Records agreed with her idea. So, Hayley formed Paramore with Josh Farro, Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis. The band's music was released through a smaller, "cooler" label called Fueled by Ramen. Hayley said the name "Paramore" came from the maiden name of one of their first bass players' mothers. When they found out "paramour" meant "secret lover," they liked the sound and kept the name.
Paramore's first album, All We Know Is Falling, came out in 2005 when Hayley was just 16. Since then, they have released five more albums: Riot! (2007), Brand New Eyes (2009), Paramore (2013), After Laughter (2017), and This Is Why (2023).
In 2009, Taylor York officially joined the band as the rhythm guitarist. He had been touring with them since 2007. In 2010, Josh and Zac Farro left the band.
In 2006, Paramore toured outside the U.S. for the first time. They played shows in the UK and Europe. Hayley also appeared in the music video for "Kiss Me" by New Found Glory. You can even play as Hayley in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour after finishing the song "Misery Business".
In 2014, Hayley received the "Trailblazer Award" at Billboard's Women in Music Awards. This award celebrates artists who make a unique mark and open doors for others. In 2015, Hayley played 'Crimson Curse' in Taylor Swift's music video for "Bad Blood".
Hayley and Taylor York won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 2015 for their song "Ain't It Fun". In July 2015, Hayley also won the APMA for Best Vocalist.
Hayley has said that she wants to stay in Paramore for a long time. She believes that as long as the band members are friends, the band will continue.
Hayley's Solo Music Career
Hayley wrote and recorded "Teenagers" for the movie Jennifer's Body soundtrack in 2009. At that time, she said she didn't plan to be a solo artist.
In 2010, she was featured on the songs "Airplanes" and "Airplanes, Part II" by rapper B.o.B. "Airplanes" became a huge hit, reaching the top ten in many countries. In 2013, Hayley worked with EDM producer Zedd on the song "Stay the Night". She also collaborated with American Football on "Uncomfortably Numb" in 2019.
On her 31st birthday in December 2019, Hayley announced she would release solo music in 2020. Her first solo song, "Simmer", came out on January 22, 2020. She also announced her first solo album, Petals for Armor, which was released on May 8, 2020. She also released two EPs, Petals for Armor I and Petals for Armor II, before the full album.
In January 2021, Hayley started hinting at a new project called Flowers for Vases / Descansos. She released this album on February 5, 2021. In June 2023, it was announced that Hayley would be featured on Taylor Swift's re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version), on the song "Castles Crumbling".
Hayley's Other Ventures
In 2013, Hayley partnered with MAC Cosmetics to release her own makeup collection. She also appeared on the cover of Nylon magazine. In October, she worked with Hard Rock Café's PINKTOBER campaign to help raise money for breast cancer research.
In 2015, she started an online beauty and music series called Kiss-Off. In 2020, she released a candle with a home fragrance brand. In 2021, Hayley collaborated with Tea Huntress, a tea company, to create two new tea blends. A part of the sales from these teas goes to Thistle Farms, an organization that helps women survivors of trafficking and abuse.
Good Dye Young Hair Company
In 2016, after planning for over four years, Hayley launched her hair dye company called Good Dye Young. She started it with her hair and makeup artist, Brian O'Connor. The company offers many bright and fun hair colors. All the dyes are vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they are not tested on animals.
In 2017, Good Dye Young released a temporary hair dye line called Poser Paste, which washes out easily. In 2020, they launched Lighter Daze, a range of five soft pastel colors.
Hayley's Artistic Style
Musical Influences
Hayley Williams has many artists and bands that inspire her. Some of these include Björk, NSYNC, Jimmy Eat World, Saves the Day, mewithoutYou, Radiohead, The Cure, Talking Heads, Fleetwood Mac, No Doubt, and New Found Glory. She also admires female singers like Christina Aguilera, Debbie Harry, Gwen Stefani, and Beyoncé.
Her Amazing Voice
Hayley Williams has a powerful singing voice. She is a soprano and can sing very high notes. Music critics have described her singing as "acrobatic" and noted her ability to sing in the whistle register, which is a very high vocal range. Some have also noticed a slight country sound in some of her songs.
Alternative Press magazine wrote that Hayley "has more charisma than singers twice her age." Singer-songwriter John Mayer also praised her voice, calling her "The great orange hope" because of her bright orange hair at the time.
Hayley's Personal Life
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Hayley identifies as Christian and often talks about her faith in relation to her music. She has also spoken about how some Christians can be judgmental.
In late 2007, Hayley started dating New Found Glory lead guitarist Chad Gilbert. They got engaged on Christmas Day in 2014 and were married on February 20, 2016. They announced their separation on July 1, 2017. In September 2022, Hayley confirmed she is in a relationship with her Paramore bandmate Taylor York.
Hayley has talked about seeing a therapist since 2018 to help with her mental well-being. In 2023, she shared that she was diagnosed with PTSD in 2018.
In 2015, Hayley responded to discussions about Paramore's song "Misery Business". She explained that she was young when she wrote it. She described herself as "a proud feminist" who is still learning.
In 2020, during the George Floyd protests, Hayley temporarily gave control of her Instagram account to a youth activist group called Teens4Equality. This was to help highlight their work with the Black Lives Matter movement.
In 2021, Hayley announced she would be taking a break from her personal social media accounts. She wanted more privacy and to spend less time looking at screens. She encouraged fans to follow Paramore's official accounts instead. She later returned to Instagram but turned off comments on her posts.
Awards and Recognitions
Hayley Williams has won many awards throughout her career.
- She has won several "Readers' Poll" awards from Kerrang! magazine for being a great singer.
- She won "Premio Fashionista" awards from Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica in 2008 and 2009.
- In 2010, she won a Teen Choice Awards 2010 for her collaboration on "Airplanes" with B.o.B.
- She was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Decode" in 2010.
- In 2014, she received the "Trailblazer Award" from Billboard Women in Music.
- In 2015, she won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song for "Ain't It Fun" with Taylor York.
- She also won "Best Vocalist" at the Alternative Press Music Awards in 2015.
- In 2020, she won "Best Alternative" at the 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Images for kids
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Williams performing at The O2, in London, in January 2018
See also
In Spanish: Hayley Williams para niños
