Fancy like … a super successful singer! Walker Hayes may bare his soul in his music, but he revealed a few little-known details about his life exclusively to Us Weekly.
The country crooner — who comes from a family of 11 and has six children himself — has always been a family man who loves music. After meeting his high school sweetheart, Laney, whom he met during a school play, Hayes went on to pursue both his romance with the fellow musician as well as his career.
The “U Girl” singer, whose smash hit “Fancy Like” went viral on TikTok in 2021, started out playing bars in Nashville, singing a cappella and studying music — specifically piano — in college, he tells Us. When he wasn’t performing or spending time with Laney, whom he wed in 2004, he was busy working hard as a Costco employee and a waiter.
Though Hayes’ road to success may have been long, the musician has some big dreams now that he’s made it — like to retire from performing and become a basketball coach. However, he told Us, “the No. 1 thing on my bucket list is to streak [at] the Super Bowl.”
Keep scrolling to learn more little-known facts about Hayes:
1. I majored in piano at Birmingham-Southern College.
2. I sang in [the a cappella group] Tar Heel Voices at UNC Chapel Hill.
3. I have an outie belly button.
4. I was a finalist for the lead in Steve Martin’s [musical] Bright Star.
5. I’m the youngest of nine kids.
6. I was previously dropped from Mercury Records and Capitol Records.
7. I’m allergic to cats.
8. I love to sing opera.
9. I had never written a song [before] I moved to Nashville.
10. I was discovered by a neighbor named Greg O’Brien who drove me to Nashville, where I got my first pub deal. We ran out of gas on the way home.
11. I drive a Prius and a Hummer.
12. I met [fellow country singer] Shane McAnally in a Smoothie King.
13. I just published my first book with my best friend, Craig [Cooper], called Glad You’re Here.
14. I worked at Costco.
15. I [also] worked at Macaroni Grill and can destroy the “Happy Birthday” song in Italian.
16. I have made all of my kids memorize the lyrics to “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha.
17. The No. 1 thing on my bucket list is to streak [at] the Super Bowl.
18. I’m married to Laney, my childhood sweetheart, who I met in a Little Shop of Horrors high school play. I was Seymour Krelborn and she was Ronette.
19. I can make Laney laugh even when she hates me.
20. I ran a 4:16 mile in high school.
21. I’ve always loved to dance — even before TikTok.
22. I almost delivered our fourth kid in the car.
23. My dream is to retire and coach high school basketball.
24. Skateboarding is my hobby.
25. I’m right-handed but kick left-footed.
