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Walker Hayes says his kids had a “front-row seat” to every phase of his life.
During a recent interview on SiriusXM’s “The Highway”, the 46-year-old country singer spoke about the many phases of his life, and how his six kids were there to see him through every step of the way.
“They’ve had the front-row seat of, you know, Costco dad. Alcoholic dad. ‘What are you going to do with your life?’ dad over COVID. Lose a kid dad, and then ‘Fancy Like,’” he said.
Hayes has been open in the past about his journey to success prior to making it big as a country singer, including his struggle with alcoholism and the nights he spent working at Costco to help support his family.
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During an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in November 2022, he explained how a chance encounter with a fan early in his career led him to landing a job at the retail store, adding that while he was “embarrassed” at first, his family was always very supportive.
“My wife, Laney, she never never at one time, was like, ‘Hey, this dream’s a bad idea,’ she just was glad that I loved what I did and supported that. It was enough for her,” he said. “She wrote me a note every single morning I went to work at Costco. I would leave the house at three and there was always a letter and a lunch, and it was amazing. She was so supportive that year of my life.”
“They’ve had the front-row seat of, you know, Costco dad. Alcoholic dad. ‘What are you going to do with your life?’ dad over COVID. Lose a kid dad, and then ‘Fancy Like.’”
The “Beat the Bottle” singer shares six kids with his high school sweetheart and wife Laney, and found mainstream success with the release of his hit song, “Fancy Like,” in 2021.
In 2024, Hayes released an album titled “Sober Thoughts,” which included songs discussing his 20-year struggle with alcohol abuse, which ended in 2016 when he got sober. He told Fox News Digital in May 2024 that he released the album to encourage others who are dealing with substance abuse issues.
“A big, big mission statement of mine is just recovery. I want to help anyone who is lonely and daunted by that idea,” he said. “Because there was a time in my life where I would have said, ‘There’s no recovering from this. You know, this is going to be my life.'”
Hayes added that he isn’t looking to change the music industry, which he admits “can often condone that lifestyle,” but rather just “show people and just normal guys like me that there is an alternative.”
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In addition to releasing a new album in 2024, Hayes also partnered with Athletic Brewing Company, the largest nonalcoholic brewery in the United States, to release a new American pale ale named after his smash-hit song “Fancy Like.”
“We dropped a nonalcoholic beer, which gives you that experience,” he told Fox News Digital. “If you love the taste of beer, it’s there. But obviously, no hangover and no bad decisions.”
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Through all of his life experiences, Hayes says he hopes his children learned that they shouldn’t be afraid to fail.
“I hope they aren’t afraid of failure, and I think they see me love Laney. They do the ‘Ew, gross’ thing. I think they know I need the Lord,” he said on SiriusXM’s The Highway. “They’re backstage every night. They’re on stage many nights dancing, and so I think they have a really interesting perspective on what the world actually has to offer and what really matters.”
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