While Walker Hayes may be known around the world as a chart-topping country music star, his favorite title he holds is "Dad." Before fame, the father of six spent 17 years in Nashville writing songs, hoping for a breakthrough. His family has been a driving force behind his career every step of the way. In fact, his daughter, Lela, played a pivotal role in introducing millions of new fans to her dad's music, something that led to one of the biggest moments of his career.
Growing up in Mobile, Alabama, music had always been on his mind. He met his wife, Laney, in his junior year of high school when they both performed in their school production of Little Shop of Horrors. While Walker claims Laney had no business hanging out with someone like him, he won her over by graduation, and the two spent the next four years dating long distance while she was away at school. Walker stayed in Alabama, studying music—Piano, specifically—at Birmingham-Southern College. In 2004, the newly married couple moved to Music City to chase his dream of a career in country music. Laney has been his support for over two decades, proving true love means being there for the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
While Walker is now known for his sharp lyrics and catchy melodies, the road to success wasn’t easy. At the end of 2005, Walker and Laney welcomed Lela, the oldest of their six children—Walker still working hard to land a record deal. Before his hit song “Fancy Like” took flight, he picked up overnight shifts at Costco, stocking and restocking the shelves to support his family. During that time, he was also struggling with alcohol, ultimately making the life-changing decision to get sober in 2016 as he worked to rebuild stability for himself and his family. It was in the moments he truly began questioning if a career in music was in the cards for him, that one video and one song changed everything.
In 2020, Lela created choreography for Walker’s song, “Fancy Like,” and encouraged him to dance with her in a video to post on social media. To their surprise, both the song and the dance quickly went viral, as people across the country began learning the dance and sharing their own videos set to the track. The song went on to dominate the charts, earn widespread industry acclaim, and receive a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song—marking Walker's first-ever Grammy nomination. Although the breakthrough seemed to happen overnight, it was the result of years of dedication and hard work, making Walker anything but an overnight success. From singing backup vocals on stage, drumming with his band, and writing on their own, the Hayes kids have proven that the music genes are in their blood, too.
“They have seen the glamorous sides of the industry, and have also seen the random alleys we wake up in down the street from the arena on the bus,” Walker explains. “I hope that we are always able to be this close and share these experiences together. We are a band—and I don’t mean that in the music sense—but we support each other in everything we do and are a true team.”
When he is not on stage, Walker can often be found coaching his sons in basketball. This past season, he had the opportunity to coach all three of his sons on the same high school team, making memories he shares will last him a lifetime. Family has always been at the center of Walker's life, and he has remained deeply committed to being a present husband and father. Whether he's writing songs inspired by his family, cheering from the sidelines, or spending time at home with his wife and children, Walker's greatest joy is investing in the people he loves most.
“I’m very aware that everything in life is a season, and I was in the season of coaching my three sons on the same high school basketball team and kept thinking, ‘Well, if things get better than this—I’m not sure it’s possible for things to get better than they are right now,” he shares.
Walker explains that writing honest and personal songs for his family are the easiest songs for him to write. Many of his lyrics are inspired by his family and their experiences. Last year, Walker released his latest record 17 Problems, which features the track “Song for My Son.” The story offers a personal reflection on fatherhood and the experience of watching his boys grow up. In it, he opens up about his own struggles and the effort it takes to become the best version of himself, with the hope of giving his sons the foundation to grow into their own best selves. He also captures the fatherhood perspective in “Taylor Swift,” a song he released on his 2023 album, New Money. The track recounts taking his daughter, Loxley, to her ninth birthday celebration at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The lyrics mention buying way-too-expensive tickets, sitting in the nosebleeds, and the joy he felt watching his daughter light up and sing along to every word of her hero’s songs. While Loxley was in awe of the night, Walker’s favorite part was when she fell asleep in his arms.
“In the moment, she didn’t realize that she fell asleep at the concert and she definitely didn’t realize how much it meant to me to sit there and hold her while she slept until she heard the song back,” Walker explains.
It is evident that Walker draws major inspiration from his family, both in his music and beyond. He even created a clothing line, Duck Buck Co., to reflect everyday life—from lounging in the backyard to hopping off stage. Born from Walker’s life as a country music artist, family man, and everyday guy, Duck Buck Co. blends the worlds of athleisure and casual wear to create pieces that look great, feel amazing and can keep up with the hustle of daily life.
“I lean towards the athleisure type of clothing because, hey, what if a pickup game of basketball breaks out, or I need to do some squats?” Walker laughs. “It’s important for me to be able to do those things in the same clothes—and then wear those same clothes to go on a date or hang with my family.”
In addition to writing songs, Walker is gearing up to make his acting debut in Guarding Stars, a holiday romance coming to Netflix later this year. The highly anticipated film is based off of Katherine Center’s bestselling novel The Bodyguard.
To keep up with all things Walker Hayes, follow him on Instagram and stay up to date on his website.
@walkerhayes
walkerhayes.com
“I hope that we are always able to be this close and share these experiences together. We are a band—and I don’t mean that in the music sense—but we support each other in everything we do and are a true team.”