If you are a fan of country music, you may have wondered if Hunter Hayes and Walker Hayes are related. After all, they share the same last name and both have successful careers in the genre. However, the truth is that they are not related at all, and their similarities end there. Here is what you need to know about the two singers and their backgrounds.
Hunter Hayes: The Child Prodigy
Hunter Hayes was born in 1991 in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. He showed an early interest in music and learned to play several instruments, including accordion, guitar, piano, drums and mandolin. He performed on national television shows such as America’s Most Talented Kids and Maury when he was just a kid. He also appeared in the movie The Apostle with Robert Duvall and sang for President Bill Clinton at the White House.
Hunter Hayes moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when he was 19 and signed with Atlantic Records. He released his self-titled debut album in 2011, which spawned the hit singles “Wanted”, “Somebody’s Heartbreak” and “I Want Crazy”. He became the youngest solo male artist to top the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and won several awards, including a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance. He has since released three more albums: Storyline (2014), The 21 Project (2015) and Wild Blue (2019). He is also known for his collaborations with artists such as Jason Mraz, Lady A, Victoria Justice and Ashley Monroe.
Walker Hayes: The Late Bloomer
Walker Hayes was born in 1979 in Mobile, Alabama. He grew up listening to rap and country music and started writing songs when he was in high school. He attended Birmingham-Southern College on a track scholarship and met his wife Laney there. They got married in 2004 and moved to Nashville, where Walker Hayes worked at Costco and wrote songs for other artists.
Walker Hayes signed with Capitol Records in 2008 and released his first single “Pants” in 2010. However, he was dropped from the label after his debut album Reason to Rhyme was shelved. He struggled financially and emotionally for several years until he met producer Shane McAnally, who helped him reinvent his sound and style. He signed with Monument Records in 2016 and released his second album Boom in 2017, which featured the viral hit “You Broke Up with Me”. He followed it up with his third album Black Sheep in 2019, which included the popular song “Don’t Let Her”.
Walker Hayes is also a father of six children: Lela, Chapel, Baylor, Beckett, Loxley and Everly. He and his wife Laney suffered a tragic loss in 2018 when their seventh child Oakleigh died shortly after birth due to complications. Walker Hayes has been open about his grief and his faith in his music and interviews.
Conclusion
Hunter Hayes and Walker Hayes are two different country singers who have no relation to each other. They have distinct musical influences, styles and stories that make them unique artists in their own right. While they may share a common surname, they are not brothers or cousins or anything else. They are just two talented musicians who happen to have the same last name.
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