Walker Hayes is celebrating his very first #1 in Country music this week with his viral smash, “Fancy Like.” While many know him as the fun-loving, “Fancy Like” dad dancing on TikTok, this #1 status means a whole lot more than many realize to Walker, who has been chasing his Country music dream for 17 years.
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“I’ve been daunted by just, kind of how to respond to this [success],” Hayes told Audacy’s Coop. “Just being honest, I’ve never had to do a speech or a ‘thank you.’ I don’t win awards, I don’t go #1, you know?”
It’s been a rough road for Walker and his family since he and his wife, Laney, moved to Nashville 17 years ago, allowing Hayes the opportunity to chase his dreams. Many years were merely based on survival as the family didn’t have the money for basic needs.
“Really, one thing I struggled with the most this whole journey was that it wasn’t just me, it was my wife,” he said. “Every time I got told ‘no,’ she heard ‘no.’ Every time we had an almost that didn’t happen, she felt it.”
He continued, “Every time we needed money for the next month, she felt it. Then we brought kids into the mix and every time I got dropped from a label they felt it, and every time I couldn’t get a deal, they felt it… that was what I struggled with the most.”
Hitting #1 on the Country charts has prompted a reflective time for Walker as he’s celebrating his success the same week as the 55th Annual CMA Awards. The accomplishment has flooded the 41-year-old’s mind with memories of what it took to get him here.
“Everywhere I go in Nashville is a memory that was along the road to this journey,” he reminisced. “There’s a hotel I stayed at, there’s a place I got fired from, there’s a red light I sat at and cried, there’s a place I ran out of gas. Right now, I’m just seeing all of that for some reason and it’s amazing.”
So what kept Walker going through the hard times?
“I’m not smart enough to stop or make sense, even… I’m not a long-term thinker,” he shared. “What kept me going was a lot of ignorance, a lot of crazy… I am the least talented person in Nashville, just so all the dreamers know — it doesn’t take talent that’s not what it takes. I just love it and I’m not going to stop making it until the day I die.”
He means what he says because Walker is already writing new songs he’s ready to share with his fans!
“As fun as it is to celebrate this song, I’m already writin’. I’m ready to give y’all another song. You can kick it back to me if you want, but I’ll come with another one.”
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It’s been a rough road to the top for Walker Hayes and his family
