Mick Hayes

Mick Hayes is a published songwriter, accomplished singer and guitarist who’s been on the Grammy ballot more than once and in a number of different categories throughout the course of his career. His interest in music starts in Lackawanna NY, a blue-collar suburb of Buffalo which was once the center of steel manufacturing throughout most of the 20th century. Seven-year-old Mick Hayes was given a guitar along with some “hand me down” 45 rpm records and learned the meaning of the blues early on when his parents divorced that same year. In his late teens, Mick worked on cars during the day and performed in smoke-filled bars at night. Not too long thereafter, he graduated to regional shows in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Canada. By the time he was in his early 20’s he had established himself as a full-time musician and took his newly formed band around the country, eventually relocating to Atlanta, Georgia to explore the southeast region. However, after a few years of industry struggles Mick found himself without a band or a place to live. Since 2003 Mick has released ten albums of original material, played to thousands of people as direct support for iconic rock bands such as the Doobie Brothers, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton, received one-on-one guitar instruction from Steve Vai, caught the interest of musical genius Stevie Wonder, appeared in a handful of reality TV shows and survived a few misguided management contracts along the way. Mick Hayes finally emerged independently in 2020 and released My Claim To Fame recorded at legendary FAME Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to glowing reviews. While the global pandemic affected so many, Mick took the time to be still, write, reflect and reconsider the musical direction of his next release. Then after careful consideration and 20 years of longing Mick relocated to Franklin, Tennessee in 2023 and has been gaining momentum as a Nashville native with another new record expected for 2025.