Hunter Hayes

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Hunter Hayes stormed the country charts in 2011 with his self-titled debut album, which generated multiple hits, including "Storm Warning" and "Wanted," and established him as a major new figure in the venerable country music market. Born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, Hunter Easton Hayes was the son of parents with Cajun roots, which informed his earliest musical interests. A babysitter who followed famed Cajun accordionist Aldus Roger further informed Hayes' interests, which by the age of five had blossomed to singing Cajun songs and playing them on his own custom-made accordion. He was soon performing with local bands, which led to widespread exposure on national TV talk shows and an appearance in the Robert Duvall-directed drama "The Apostle" (1997). Hayes released his first album, Through My Eyes, in 2000, which featured his first efforts at songwriting along with a handful of traditional numbers. The following year, he released a follow-up, Make A Wish, which marked his debut as co-producer. He also vastly expanded his repertoire of musical instruments on the record, playing guitar, mandolin, bass and percussion. After teaching himself the basics of recording music with his own home studio, Hayes moved to Nashville in 2009 to break into the mainstream country music scene. He signed with Universal Music Publishing group, for which he co-wrote the single "Play" for Rascal Flatts, before joining Atlantic Records Nashville for his own debut album. The first single, "Storm Warning," which featured Hayes as both co-writer and performer on all instruments, reached country radio in the spring of 2011, shortly before the release of his self-titled major label debut album. He would promote the record as the opening act on Taylor Swift's Speak Now tour, which helped to send the first single to the Top 40 on the country charts. Hunter Hayes would eventually reach the No. 1 spot on the U.S. country charts, while his next two singles, "Wanted" and "Somebody's Heartbreak," both reached the top of the charts in the spring and summer of 2012. Hayes earned three Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist, in 2013, the same year he released a deluxe version of his first record, titled Hunter Hayes (Encore). The new album contained five new tracks, including the single "I Want Crazy," which earned a Grammy nod for Best Country Solo Performance, and a new version of the single "Everybody's Got Somebody But Me" with singer Jason Mraz. Hayes wrapped out 2013 by receiving the Country Music Television (CMT) Artist of the Year Award, before returning to the studio to record his sophomore album. Storyline debuted in the spring of 2014 and quickly vaulted to the top of the country album charts, while its first single, "Invisible," reached No. 4 on the U.S country singles chart. To promote the record, and to raise awareness for children's hunger charities, Hayes played 10 shows in 10 cities in a single day, breaking a world record previously held by the Flaming Lips for most concerts played in multiple cities in a single 24-hour period.