Benjamin Jones
Country singer Walker Hayes is opening up about his past battles with alcoholism, which nearly cost him his music career, with his latest collection of songs, “Sober Thoughts.”
Three years ago, Hayes burst onto the music scene with “Fancy Like”, a song that became a sensation and made a mark in the world of country music. Today, he returns with a collection of songs that delve into his life experiences, including his struggle with addiction and the pain of losing a child.
In the early days of his career, he and his high school sweetheart, Laney, moved to Nashville to pursue his dream of becoming a songwriter. However, the path was full of challenges.
“Life has given us a kick and we’ve also overcome some really difficult things,” he said,
After a decade, Hayes’ music career was stagnant. He was working a Costco shift to support his growing family. He turned to alcohol, saying he drank “all day, every day.”
“I mean, it got to an embarrassing point, but I had some vodka in my Honda Accord all the time. And it went into every drink,” he said.
Hayes’ struggle persisted until he finally acknowledged that he was an alcoholic.
“I woke up and physically I had never felt like this before,” Hayes said. “It wasn’t even a hangover. It felt like if I started over today and did that, I might die.”
After this realization, Hayes sought sobriety and his life began to improve.
However, as his career gained momentum in 2018, he and his wife faced an unimaginable tragedy.
Laney nearly died during the birth of her seventh child, Oakleigh, who was stillborn at term. After Oakleigh’s funeral – and three years sober – Hayes went to a bar.
“I got there and my wallet wasn’t at my door,” he said. “So I came home. The first thing I see when I come back to my house is Laney in the dark room, just sitting in the dark, staring at the wall, alone. And my pain and anger immediately turned to shame. My favorite person on Earth this alone.”
That’s when he says his priorities quickly changed, and by clinging to his family, Hayes’ career finally took off.
“I was self-centered and I wanted power. I wanted success. And then the lens changed when we lost Oakleigh and I started holding on to the things that matter, and one thing that really matters to me is my children,” Hayes said.
Hayes’ career enjoyed a resurgence in 2021 when a TikTok dance created by her daughter Lela to “Fancy Like” went viral, reintroducing her music to a wider audience.
“I was like, oh, we got 6,000, you know, 6,000 people liked it,” Hayes recalled. “And my daughter said, ‘Dad, that’s 600,000.'”
This new hit was a beacon of light for Hayes and his family, showing how personal expression through music can foster connection and healing.
Now, with “Sober Thoughts,” Hayes is more candid than ever about the complexities of his life.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” he said. “And the fact that life ends. And if we all really saw that from the front row, it would change our daily lives. We would see clearly what matters.”
Anthony Mason
