Walker Hayes’ Kids Didn’t Forget a Promise He Made During the Worst of Times
Walker Hayes is a man of his word, even when it comes at the expense of being a good neighbor. With "Fancy Like" hitting No. 1 on country airplay charts this week, the singer made good on a promise he made to his kids six years ago.
"It's funny what kids remember," he says, awestruck, talking to Taste of Country.
In 2014, Hayes was between record deals with nothing happening for him professionally. If you know his story, this is around the time he was working early morning shifts at Costco to pay the bills and driving a car without enough seats to fit each child. Those kids still had big Christmas dreams.
"They wanted Christmas blowups and I'm like, 'Kids, I'm sorry. Maybe some lights but we ain't getting blowups," he shares prior to the 2021 CMA Awards. "I said, just on a whim, 'If Dad ever has a No. 1 song ...' — of course, it's one of those promises where it's like, ain't never gonna happen, but it'll get them off my back tonight."
As of this week, "Fancy Like" is a No. 1 song, his first after 17 years (and, per Instagram, "7 kids, 4 dogs, 2 gerbils, 3 record labels, 4 publishing deals, 3 managers, 1,000 heartbreaks"). So recently they all went to Lowe's and ... well, take a look:
The six kids started asking if he thought "Fancy Like" could hit No. 1 this summer, before his record label had even committed to sending it to country radio, and at the time, Hayes — who'd long since forgotten his in-the-moment vow — couldn't understand why. It went viral and started a dance craze before hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Still, the promise is rooted in airplay, something he's been chasing for years. It officially happened last weekend, so now, in his yard, you'll find eight blowups, one that's 12 feet in length and four more that are nine feet tall.
"Dude, our house, it's obnoxiously covered in blowups," he says. "We're getting some pretty weird looks from the neighbors."
Again, see for yourself.
If you're thinking that this won't be the only splurge for Hayes and his family, you're mistaken. Talking to ToC, he reveals they're just not "stuff people," because it all comes with extra maintenance.
"I definitely don't want no second house, because I'm gonna have to go cut that yard," Hayes says.
"It's just surreal, man," he adds, struggling to find the words to illustrate this whirlwind. "We're just average people and it's just weird to be among — just my name to be on those charts next to the people it's next to."