From Mobile Bay
to the World
Born and raised on the Gulf Coast, Johnny Hayes weaves soulful blues-rock vocals through a musical fabric of Americana, folk, and soul — music shaped by the waters of Mobile Bay and the deep roots of the South.
Johnny first picked up a guitar in college at the University of Alabama, playing acoustic covers in bars around Tuscaloosa. What started as a way to make a few bucks turned into a calling. He moved to Nashville at 23, busking on the streets to get heard, and released his first EP recorded in a friend's basement.
In 2017, Johnny earned national attention as a Top 24 Finalist on NBC's The Voice (Season 12), performing Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" and turning chairs for Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani. He chose Team Adam and went on to perform "Hard to Handle," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," and "Statesboro Blues" before millions of viewers.
After Nashville, Johnny came home to Mobile — driven by family and the conviction that the best songs come from the place you know deepest. Today he tours the Southeast from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle, blending influences from Stax-era soul to the Allman Brothers.
He has shared stages with Blues Traveler, The Red Clay Strays, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Steve Miller Band, JJ Grey & Mofro, Samantha Fish, and many more.
"It's a spiritual connection when you can sing and perform for somebody and they're really just feeling what you're trying to portray." — Johnny Hayes