It was very common to hear Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings at my house. The first record I ever bought was an Elvis record off of TV,” says Hayes. “It always seemed that music was a little more important to me than it was to my friends.” While his father played in bluegrass and country bands during his formative years, Hayes wrestled with the decision to follow in those footsteps and pursue a career in music. Just 20 weeks into his career, that same song Hayes knew would be a hit in the studio proved to be a hit on the charts, as “Old Enough to Know Better” topped the country charts for two weeks.

“It was unbelievable. ‘Old Enough to Know Better’ had the most adds of any single in country music history in its first week at the time,” says Hayes. “My life changed so much in such a short time. To see the thing that you had dreamed of since you were a kid happen, there’s no feeling like it.”

The good times kept rolling when the album’s next three singles, “I’m Still Dancin’ with You,” “Don’t Stop” and “What I Meant to Say,” landed at number one, five and ten, respectively. But with that success came pressure from his record label to release new music. Don’t miss Wade Hayes at The Don Gibson Theatre.