1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:01,480 Speaker 1: Music Saved Me. 2 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 2: As a child, my earliest memories of music was the 3 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 2: waffle house jukebox. I remember being small enough to reach 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 2: up to my dad's pockets and reach in and try 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: to find some change. Now a particular type of music, Nah, 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 2: as a kid, I wasn't just it wasn't one genre. 7 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 3: It was just basically all music. 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Music Saved Me Podcast. I'm your host, 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: Lynn Hoffman, and on this episode we have a member 10 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: of the country music community who has met life's challenges 11 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: head on, most certainly with the help of the healing 12 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: force of music. Walker Hayes is an American country pop 13 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: singer and songwriter, and he shares his story on Music 14 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: Saved Me. Welcome to the show. Who are you all right? 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 2: Well, I'm Walker Hayes and happy to be here, and 16 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: I'm here to talk about how important the gift of 17 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 2: music is to me as just an outside source of therapy, 18 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 2: but also just a therapeutic, creative way to express myself. 19 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: Were you a fan of specific musicians that you connected 20 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: with early on? 21 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 2: You know, as a child, my earliest memories of music 22 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 2: were was the waffle house jukebox, and you know, I 23 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 2: would I remember being you know, small enough to reach 24 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 2: up to my dad's pockets and reach in and try 25 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: to find some change in the pocket where he kept 26 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 2: his keys and his quarters, you know in and you 27 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 2: know i'd beg him for a quarter. 28 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 3: Now. 29 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: As particular type of music, No, as a kid, I 30 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 2: wasn't just it wasn't one genre. It was just basically 31 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: all music. I do remember I used a lot of 32 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: those quarters to play Willie Nelson's on the Road again 33 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: for some reason, that was a that was a favorite 34 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 2: for me. But early on, uh, I picked up the 35 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 2: love of music from my father. He was a he 36 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 2: was a music minister. But it wasn't just it wasn't 37 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 2: just church music, you know, at our house, it was 38 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: all types of uh you know, music being played and 39 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 2: you know him singing and in the car you know, 40 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 2: and things like that. So I just I got a 41 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: I had a well rounded, you know, musical education at 42 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: an early age thanks to him. But you know, before 43 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 2: there was ever a thought of I'd love to do 44 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: this as a as an occupation, as a career. 45 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 3: First it just was a. 46 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 2: Healthy, healthy love of music. It was an escape for 47 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 2: me as far as I can remember. I mean, I 48 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 2: self realized. It was a self realization that I loved music. 49 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: No one had to no one had to say, hey, 50 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 2: you need to give music to try. You know, it 51 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 2: just was in me. My father was a retired music minister. 52 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 2: He's sold real estate, but that was his first job 53 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 2: for his first twenty five or so years out of college. 54 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 2: And so he would we would be in line at 55 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 2: Cracker Barel paying our bill, and he would just bust 56 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 2: out in song. And I honestly I was like, I 57 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 2: don't know this guy. 58 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 4: I don't know who that is. 59 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 3: You know. 60 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 4: I was so embarrassed, and I was more more of 61 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 4: a shy. 62 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: Took me a while, you know, I had stage fright, 63 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 2: but I would say without a doubt, my my dad 64 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 2: was the first person to ever hear me and and 65 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 2: encouraged me to do it, you know outside my bedroom, 66 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 2: you know, to to sing in front of people. I 67 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 2: had a music teacher named mister Powell who put me 68 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 2: in a play that I didn't really want to be in. 69 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 2: So between him and my dad, they kind of nudged me, 70 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 2: you know, on the stage. And and and once I 71 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 2: did the things that they encouraged me to do, I 72 00:03:58,080 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 2: just fell in love with it. 73 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 4: I mean, my dad, I'll never. 74 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 2: Forget the first gig I ever played a guitar in 75 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 2: a bar, he called me on his cell phone. It 76 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 2: was from a place called the Yacht Club and Mobile 77 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: off DP and it's just this little bar on Mobile 78 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 2: Bay and he called me and said, hey, I asked 79 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 2: the bar manager, Trudy, if you could play on Friday. 80 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 4: And I was furious. 81 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 2: I mean because I honestly, I was twenty something, I 82 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 2: was about to get married, and. 83 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 4: I honestly said, I said, Dad, I'll do this. 84 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 2: Get He had heard me in the living room and 85 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 2: he was like, you know, it's hard to believe your dad. 86 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 2: You're like your dad. If your dad says you're good, 87 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 2: whatever he's supposed to say, I'm good. So yeah, I'm 88 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 2: not sure I trusted him, but I said, I will 89 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: do this gig if you'll quit doing that, you know, 90 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 2: quit pushing me out of my comfort zone. And I 91 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 2: played that gig and that was the that was the thing. 92 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: I mean, that's that's when I called Laney and I said, 93 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: you know, let's get out of Mobile, Let's let's move 94 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 2: to Nashville. I want to I want to try this, 95 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: you know, for real. So it's all his fault. 96 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: Thank you, Dad. Speaking of you have a song called 97 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: a Briefcase, which is a narrative about life and work 98 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: and regrets. Can you talk a little bit about what 99 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: that song means to you? 100 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, what a great Holy cow. 101 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: I wouldn't have known, honestly, how to talk about all 102 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 2: these great things you're talking about. And unless you mentioned 103 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 2: that song, that's a great example of what music means 104 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 2: to me. I wrote that song when my about two 105 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 2: months before my dad died, we were losing him. He 106 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 2: had Parkinson's. This was two years ago and two years ago, 107 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:53,039 Speaker 2: March twenty second, and I was, you know, as a 108 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 2: son would do as you're you know, kind of seeing 109 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 2: your hero whither away. 110 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 3: You know, you begin to start thinking of regrets. 111 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 2: You know, you think you start thinking, you know, have 112 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 2: I told my father how I really feel about him? 113 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 2: You know now and also at my age, you know, 114 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 2: my dad and I, his relationship is going through a 115 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 2: lot of phases, as Briefcase describes. You know, as a kid, 116 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:20,799 Speaker 2: I was not a fan of my father. I felt 117 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: like I competed with his job for him, and you know, 118 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 2: there were nights where I'd be playing ball games and 119 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 2: all I could think about at the game was. 120 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 3: You know, why am my dad here? 121 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 2: And that frustrated me and so that briefcase, I didn't 122 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 2: like it, But expressing that emotion it was like a 123 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 2: priceless therapy session, you know, to sit down and write, Hey, Dad, 124 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: I didn't really get it as a child. As I 125 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 2: grew older and began to have kids, I began to 126 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 2: understand what you were juggling all that you were up 127 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 2: again as a father, and now. 128 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 3: I appreciate the job you did. 129 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 2: And and I basically admitted to my father that as 130 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 2: a child, I didn't want to be like him. But 131 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 2: now if anyone says that I remind them of my father, 132 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 2: it is is a proud, proud moment for me. And 133 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 2: I am honored that they would look at me and 134 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 2: say that that I resemble him in any way, whether 135 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 2: it's the way I look, walk, talk, father anything, And 136 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 2: so yeah, I mean that again that the writing the 137 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 2: creation of that song walked me through one of the 138 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,239 Speaker 2: most difficult things I ever endured, you know, as a human, 139 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: which is watching my hero basically disintegrate, you know, go 140 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 2: from the strongest man I knew, to being reminded that 141 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 2: we were all. We are all human and eventually our 142 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 2: bodies fail us. And I watched him leave this earth. 143 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 2: I mean I was sitting by his side, singing a 144 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 2: hymn on a guitar when he breathed his last breath. 145 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 2: And I guarantee you my sister was there with me, 146 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 2: and I'm sure I played briefcase that day, you know, 147 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 2: just just sitting in his room. 148 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 3: So when you talk about I don't know how else 149 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 3: to say. 150 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 2: Music means a lot to me, you know, or that 151 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 2: music has been more so the arm of God around 152 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 2: me and in some of my deepest, darkest times of 153 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 2: need for peace and hope and comfort in this world. 154 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 1: Wow, that is so powerful. Thank you for sharing that. 155 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 1: You know your music deals with love and loss and anger. 156 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: Do you visualize members of your fan base that may 157 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: be going through something in their life? 158 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 2: I guess I kind of have this out of body 159 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 2: visualization of somebody listening to the song alone in their car, 160 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 2: you know, And I really want them to hear the 161 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 2: song in the beginning, but kind of leave where they're 162 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 2: not listening to me anymore, They're not imagining me as 163 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 2: an artist singing it. I would like them to go 164 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 2: to a place in their own life and almost forget 165 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 2: they're listening to me and them think of their own 166 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 2: experiences and they're like, yeah, I try to visualize, you know, 167 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 2: my fans being moved, you know, to a moment that 168 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 2: might be kind of a moment where they were injured, 169 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 2: or you know, make them think of somebody they love, 170 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 2: or cut through the pleasantries and get to the heart 171 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 2: of where someone is, you know, when they're just sitting 172 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,719 Speaker 2: on the highway, you know, alone. 173 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 1: Walker, thank you so much for being an artist that 174 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: is so transparent in your trials and tribulations, and thanks 175 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: for being here on Music Saved Be. 176 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 3: Thank you. I appreciate it. 177 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 2: I wish I could say I'm just a nice guy 178 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 2: and I love to help people, but selfishly it is 179 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 2: in creating these things. 180 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 3: It's just very helpful to me, you know. 181 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 2: I mean, that's that's how I that's how I open up, 182 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 2: you know, my heart and get get some stuff out 183 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 2: and and and share. 184 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 3: So it's very helpful for me. But I appreciate it.