New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Wade Hayes (r.) shot a music video for the title track of his Old Country Still Rocks album with director Justin Mayotte (l.) during a rare Nashville concert at the
Music City Bar & Grill last night. The finished clip will be released in mid-January.
Old Country Still Rocks is an 11-song set that celebrates Wade's heroes,
Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, Merle Haggard and other icons. The songs were part of his musical education as he grew up playing in Oklahoma clubs with his father Don, a well-respected local musician. The album is available now on Conabor Records.
A second generation country singer from Bethel Acres, Oklahoma, Hayes grew up watching his dad perform. The young guitarist's dream was to be the next Don Rich, Buck Owens' revered guitar player and one of country music's most legendary sidemen. Wade began realizing that goal when Johnny Lee tapped him to be his lead guitarist.
He landed a publishing deal just nine months after moving to Nashville and a contract with Columbia Records soon after. His debut single, "Old Enough to Know Better," hit No. 1 on the Billboard
Country chart. Follow up singles "Don't Stop," "I'm Still Dancing With You," "What I Meant To Say," "On A Good Night" and "The Day That She Left Tulsa (In a Chevy)," all hit the Top 10, and two of his albums have been certified gold by the RIAA.
Hayes recorded two more albums for Columbia before making the move to Monument Records. He maintained a busy schedule on the road entertaining fans with such hits as the achingly powerful "How Do You Sleep at Night" and the raucous dance tune "Tore Up from the Floor Up." He developed a reputation for having once of the best live shows in the business, delivering song after song that kept people on their feet singing along in arenas or packing the dance floor at major clubs across the country.
Over the years, Hayes has continued to tour and churn out critically acclaimed albums. He was temporarily sidelined as he fought stage four colon cancer twice, but the experience left him with renewed faith in God and a deeper well from which to draw as a songwriter. The title track from his 2015 album Go Live Your Life was inspired by the advice his oncologist gave him when he became cancer free for the second time.
That inspiring anthem has become a fan favorite as is Hayes' poignant ballad "Who Saved Who?" It's a tribute to his beloved dog Jack, and even the toughest cowboys in the audience can be seen with tears in their eyes when Wade sings "He's been with me through hell and back again. And I know it's often said, but he has been my best friend. They call him a rescue, but I'm not sure that's true. Cause there's times I wonder, who saved who?"
In addition to writing, recording and touring, Hayes has recently developed some other pursuits that keep him busy when he's on his Tennessee farm. He's raising cattle, an Angus/Hereford mix and loves to spend time in the pasture watching the calves. He also loves making guitars and recently crafted a beautiful instrument from a 100-year-old Ash tree that had fallen on a friend's property.
Wade capped off 2022 by being officially inducted into the Oklahoma Country
Music Hall of Fame.
