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Walker Hayes
Walker Hayes performs at the 9th annual Guitar Pull.jpg
Hayes in 2017
Background information
Birth name Charles Edgar Walker Hayes
Born (1979-12-27) December 27, 1979 (age 44)
Origin Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Years active 2010–present
Labels

Charles Edgar Walker Hayes (born December 27, 1979) is an American country pop singer and songwriter. He has released three studio albums: Reason to Rhyme in 2011 on Capitol Records Nashville, and Boom and Country Stuff the Album in 2017 and 2022 on Monument Records. Hayes has charted multiple singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts; his highest-peaking is "Fancy Like", which reached the number one position on both charts between late 2021 and early 2022.

Early life

Hayes was born on December 27, 1979, in Mobile, Alabama. His father, Charles Hayes, was a realtor and died in 2021. Hayes graduated from Birmingham–Southern College in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in music and an emphasis on piano.

Career

Hayes and his wife moved to Nashville in 2005, hoping to get in the country music business. He landed a job writing songs for a Nashville publishing company and then signed a contract with Mercury Records Nashville, though he was quickly dropped and moved to Capitol Records Nashville. In 2010, he released his first single, "Pants". It debuted at No. 60 on the Hot Country Songs charts dated for the week ending September 18, 2010. Kyle Ward of Roughstock rated the single 3.5 stars out of 5. Hayes debuted the video for the song in December 2010. Hayes also appeared on an episode of 19 Kids and Counting, singing a song he wrote about Jill and her now husband, Derick's, proposal. "Pants" and a second single, "Why Wait for Summer", both appeared on an album for Capitol Records titled Reason to Rhyme.

Hayes co-wrote and sang guest vocals on "Dirty Side", a song from Colt Ford's 2014 album Thanks for Listening. He also co-wrote Rodney Atkins' late-2014 single "Eat Sleep Love You Repeat". After losing his contract with Capitol Records, Hayes worked at a Costco to support himself.

In 2016, Hayes signed a publishing and production deal with Shane McAnally and SMACK/RareSpark, through which he released two extended plays: 8Tracks Vol. 1 and 8Tracks Vol. 2. This was followed by his first single for Monument Records, "You Broke Up with Me". It appears on his first Monument album, Boom. It would be his breakthrough hit on the Billboard charts.

In August 2018, Hayes released a single titled "90's Country", whose song lyrics contain multiple references to titles of country songs from the 1990s.

On June 4, 2021, Hayes released the EP Country Stuff. One of its tracks, "Fancy Like", became a viral hit through TikTok and reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Hayes' highest-charting effort to date. It was subsequently released to country radio as his next single, and debuted at number 53 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. "Fancy Like" appeared on an extended play titled Country Stuff, the tracks of which also carried over to his third studio album, 2022's Country Stuff the Album. The album has also produced the singles "U Gurl" and "AA".

Personal life

He lives in Thompson's Station, Tennessee, with his wife, Laney Beville Hayes, and their six children. The couple married in 2004. Their seventh child and fourth daughter, Oakleigh Klover Hayes, died shortly after birth on June 6, 2018. Laney had to undergo surgery due to profuse bleeding after the birth. Hayes is a Christian and has been sober since 2015.

Discography

Albums

Title Album details Peak chart
positions
Certifications Sales
US
US
Country
AUS
CAN
Reason to Rhyme
  • Release date: 2011
  • Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Boom
  • Release date: December 8, 2017
  • Label: Monument
37 6
  • US: 32,600
Country Stuff the Album
  • Release date: January 21, 2022
  • Label: Monument
9 2 57 27
  • US: 16,000
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Extended plays

Title EP details Peak chart
positions
US
US Country
US Heat
CAN
Walker Hayes
  • Release date: September 21, 2010
  • Label: Capitol Records Nashville
  • Format: CD, digital download
66 43
8Tracks (Vol. .....
  • Release date: May 6, 2016
  • Label: SMACKSongs/RareSpark
  • Format: CD, digital download
8Tracks (Vol. 2): Break the Internet
  • Release date: August 19, 2016
  • Label: SMACKSongs/RareSpark
  • Format: CD, digital download
8Tracks (Vol. 3): Black Sheep
  • Release date: December 6, 2019
  • Label: Monument
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Country Stuff
  • Release date: June 4, 2021
  • Label: Monument
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
32 4 41
New Money
  • Release date: September 29, 2023
  • Label: RCA
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Sales Album
US
US Country
US Country Airplay
AUS
CAN
CAN Country
NZ
Hot
2010 "Pants" 40 Reason to Rhyme
2011 "Why Wait for Summer" 42
2014 "Pimpin' Joy" Non-album single
2017 "You Broke Up with Me" 62 9 10 100 17
  • RIAA: 2× Platinum
  • MC: Platinum
  • US: 397,000
Boom
2018 "Craig" 59
"90's Country" 52
  • RIAA: Gold
  • US: 17,000
Non-album single
2019 "Don't Let Her" 56
  • RIAA: Gold
8Tracks (Vol. 3): Black Sheep
2020 "Trash My Heart" Non-album single
2021 "Fancy Like" 3 1 1 42 9 3 31
  • RIAA: 6× Platinum
  • ARIA: Platinum
  • MC: 3× Platinum
Country Stuff the Album
"U Gurl" 28
  • RIAA: Gold
"AA" 28 3 5 42 1
  • RIAA: 2× Platinum
2022 "Y'all Life" 32 29 49
  • RIAA: Gold
Non-album single
2023 "Good with Me" 43 New Money
"Fancy Like Christmas" Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video Director
2010 "Pants" Peter Zavadil
2015 "Dirty Side" (with Colt Ford) N/A
2017 "You Broke Up with Me" Blythe Thomas
2018 "90's Country" Alex Alvga
"Craig"
"Don't Let Her"
2021 "Fancy Like"
2022 "AA" Walker Hayes and Robert Chavers
2023 "Fancy Like Christmas" Beaver / Bennette

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations received by Kevin Feige
Award Year Nominee Category Result Ref.
CMT Music Awards 2018 "You Broke Up with Me" Breakthrough Video of the Year Nominated
American Music Awards 2021 "Fancy Like" Favorite Country Song Nominated
Grammy Awards 2022 Best Country Song Nominated
Kids' Choice Awards 2022 Himself Favorite Breakout Artist Nominated
Billboard Music Awards 2022 Top Song Sales Artist Nominated
Top Country Artist Nominated
Country Stuff the Album Top Country Album Nominated
"Fancy Like" Top Selling Song Nominated
Top Viral Song Nominated
Top Country Song Won

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Walker Hayes para niños

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