On this day (September 9) in 1991, Hunter Hayes was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. A talented multi-instrumentalist, he started pursuing music before most kids start kindergarten. Before he was a teenager, Hayes befriended Robert Duvall and released several independent albums. He released his major label debut when he was 20. A year later, he went to No. 1 with “Wanted,” making him the youngest male artist to top the Hot Country Songs chart.
Hayes started performing publicly when he was four. One evening, he was playing accordion with the Lee Benoit Band at Mulate’s, a restaurant in his hometown. Robert Duvall was in the area filming The Apostle and came to Mulate’s to eat dinner. He was so impressed with the four-year-old musician that he offered him a part in the film. Days later, on his fifth birthday, Duvall gave Hayes his first guitar, according to The Advocate.
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Just two years later, when Hayes was seven, he performed for President Bill Clinton on the White House lawn. He sang Hank Williams’ “He Good Lookin’.” Two years later, the nine-year-old musician released the first of five independent albums. In 2008, after releasing Songs About Nothing, his fifth indie LP, he moved to Nashville.
Hunter Hayes Heads to Nashville
Hunter Hayes was 17 when he and his family relocated from Louisiana to Nashville in 2008. There, he signed with Universal Music Publishing Group as a songwriter. He co-wrote “Play,” which was recorded by Rascal Flatts for their album Nothing Like This. Later that year, he inked a deal with Atlantic Records.
Hayes didn’t go into the studio immediately after signing his record deal. Instead, he started touring. First, he opened several shows for Taylor Swift on her Speak Now tour. Then, he embarked on a radio tour to tease songs from his upcoming album before embarking on a two-month headlining tour.
He released his debut single, “Storm Warning,” in May 2011. His self-titled major label debut dropped that October. He co-wrote all of the album’s songs, played all of the instruments, and co-produced the project with Dann Huff.
Hayes released “Wanted” as the second single from the LP in March 2012. It reached the top of the Hot Country Songs chart. Then, later that year, it reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart.
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The single made him the youngest solo male artist to top the Hot Country Songs chart. At 21 years old, he broke the record Johnny Rodriguez set in 1973 when he took “You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)” to No. 1 at 22 years old.
Hunter Hayes continues to tour and record. He released his latest album, Evergreen, earlier this year.
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