If you are a fan of country music, you might have wondered if Walker Hayes and Wade Hayes are related. After all, they share the same last name and the same genre of music. But are they really family members or just coincidental namesakes? Here is what we found out.
Who is Walker Hayes?
Walker Hayes is a country pop singer and songwriter who was born on December 27, 1979, in Mobile, Alabama. He has eight older half-siblings from his parents’ previous marriages1 He graduated from Birmingham–Southern College in 2002 with a degree in music and moved to Nashville in 2005 to pursue his career
He signed with Capitol Records Nashville in 2010 and released his debut album, Reason to Rhyme, in 2011. He later moved to Monument Records and released two more albums, Boom in 2017 and Country Stuff the Album in 2022. His most successful single to date is “Fancy Like”, which reached number one on both the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts in late 2021 and early 2022
He is married to Laney Beville Hayes since 2004 and they have seven children together He is also a devout Catholic who sings songs in both English and French
Who is Wade Hayes?
Wade Hayes is another country music artist who was born on April 20, 1969, in Bethel Acres, Oklahoma. He grew up playing music with his father, who was also a professional musician5 He dropped out of college in 1991 and moved to Nashville to follow his dream.
He signed with Columbia Records in 1994 and released his first album, Old Enough to Know Better, which went gold and produced a number one hit with the title track. He released two more albums for Columbia, On a Good Night in 1996 and When the Wrong One Loves You Right in 1998. He later signed with Monument Records and released two more albums, Highways & Heartaches in 2000 and Place to Turn Around in 2009. His other top ten hits include “I’m Still Dancin’ with You”, “On a Good Night”, and “The Day That She Left Tulsa (In a Chevy)”5
He also formed a duo with Mark McClurg called McHayes in 2003, but they only released one single, “It Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Love You”5 He was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2011, but he went into remission after treatment and continued to tour and record music. He released two more albums independently, Go Live Your Life in 2015 and Who Saved Who in 2019.
Are They Related?
The short answer is no. Walker Hayes and Wade Hayes are not related by blood or by marriage. They just happen to have the same surname and the same passion for country music.
According to sitename, there are about 1.3 million people with the last name Hayes in the United States, making it the 100th most common surname in the country. It is derived from the Irish name Ó hAodha, meaning “descendant of Aodh”, a personal name meaning “fire”.
So it is not surprising that there are many people with the name Hayes who are not related to each other. In fact, there is another country music singer named Hunter Hayes, who was born on September 9, 1991, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. He is also not related to Walker or Wade Hayes.
Conclusion
Walker Hayes and Wade Hayes are two talented country music artists who have made their mark on the industry with their catchy songs and heartfelt lyrics. But they are not related to each other or to any other famous Hayes in the music business. They are just two individuals who share a common name and a common love for country music.
