Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Walker Hayes and wife Laney Beville Hayes: A Love That Stayed

Walker Hayes and wife Laney Beville Hayes love story
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Walker Hayes and wife Laney Beville Hayes’ love story has stood the test of time. The couple met way back in elementary, fell in love in high school, broke up, got back together, and now they’re married for 17 years with 6 adorable kids. And through all the ups and downs in his career (and their life), Laney has been Walker’s stronghold. She was someone who believed in his gifts and talents beyond his own faith in them. 

So, let’s go back to the day they first met, get to know more about the woman behind Walker Hayes’ success (and his songs), and see the life they have built together. 

First Chapter: “Don’t Let Her”

Walker Hayes and his wife Laney Beville were friends long before sparks flew in between. They first met back when they were in elementary – and of course, there was a class picture to commemorate that year. 

Fast forward to high school. 

Hayes was 17 at the time; the couple went to a monster truck show and then went to a construction site after that for their very first date. Then they realized that someone had left the keys to a genie – an equipment that lifts very high into the sky and then comes down, which Hayes described as an ‘accordion on wheels.’ Without any hesitation, they jumped inside, shot the genie up, and then chatted. 

And for him, it was very unique. At 17, he liked music, sports, and just being a vandal, and he couldn’t believe that he was sitting with a girl. He couldn’t even remember what they talked about – just that they talked for hours. And that was the start.

But unknown to many, the couple actually broke up for nine to ten months after they graduated college. Being with each other since they were kids, the breakup felt almost like a divorce. They didn’t see each other at all, and Hayes was seeing another person at the time. He tried to trick himself that he had already moved on from her. He even plotted saying, ‘hey, good to see you, good luck with your life, you look great’ when he runs into her at a mutual friend’s wedding. 

But instead of saying that, he felt nauseous when he saw her. And that was the time that he knew that his feelings for her had never changed, even during those long months that they were apart. And it looked like Laney felt the same. It only took around six to seven weeks before the couple got engaged. 

Looking back, Hayes thinks that the almost a year apart allowed them to grow individually and also feel certain about how they truly felt for each other. And of course, as a country music singer, he translated this love into words. In 2019, he released an emotional love letter titled “Don’t Let Her,” one of Walker Hayes songs that truly defined him as an artist. 

Second Chapter: The Move to Nashville

RELATED: Walker Hayes: Meet the Breakout Country Singer

Although Hayes loved music, he didn’t really look at it as a career. In fact, he was planning to build up a career in real estate just like his father. But things turned out differently as he thought and he ended up officially pursuing music. He then called Laney up and asked her to move with him to Nashville. 

The two exchanged vows on June 12, 2004 and after that, everything was smooth sailing until it wasn’t. One moment he was so hot, and everyone wanted to collaborate with him, and the next thing he knew, no one would even return his phone calls. He lost his record deal, and he had no plan B. 

He went to work at Costco to support his family, but he kept on writing. And Laney didn’t even once tell him to stop. She believed in him and she always saw the best in him. It was tough, but they made it through. Hayes got his second chance, and this time, it held on. 

Who is Walker Hayes’ wife, Laney Beville Hayes?

Walker Hayes has always been a proud husband of Laney Beville, and he has always expressed how he owes his wife the success that he now enjoys. There’s hardly any information about her but what we do know is she is the wonder mom of their six adorable kids. 

And of course, she is Walker Hayes’ number one fan and most loyal supporter. In an interview, Hayes said that everybody thought he was crazy to have six kids and chase his dream, but he told his wife that she was crazier than anybody. And that was because she married him, and she was still around for all the downs and the chaos. 

Third Chapter: Meet the Hayes Family 

According to Hayes, they had always planned to have four children, but for some reason, they just kept going. And now, Walker and Laney Beville Hayes have three boys and three girls – Lela, 15; Chapel, 13; Baylor, 11; Beckett, 9; Loxley, 7, and Everly, 5. The family was supposed to welcome another member, Oakleigh Klover, in 2018, but they lost her after Laney suffered from a uterine rupture that suffocated the baby and ultimately put her life on the line as well. 

Walker Hayes and his wife, Laney Beville Hayes (and the whole family), worked together to heal from the tragic event. Now, they spend most of their time at home just chilling and doing some TikTok dances, which Walker posts on his account. Make sure to check them out! They’re really a cool, adorable big family. 

Latest Stories

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...

Beyoncé points at her Buffalo Soldiers shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour, the shirt that sparked backlash for its wording.

Beyoncé Under Fire for Wearing Shirt That Calls Native Americans “Enemies of Peace”

Some controversy doesn’t fade with the stage lights. Just ask Beyoncé. The Houston-born superstar is facing backlash after wearing a T-shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour in Paris that some ...

Miranda Lambert plays guitar in a cozy bedroom, the perfect moment that shows how she made “The House That Built Me” a classic.

Blake Shelton Was Supposed to Sing “The House That Built Me” Then Miranda Lambert Made It a Classic

Sometimes, the best country songs don’t just find a voice. They rip your chest open and remind you why Nashville can still surprise the hell out of you. Back in ...

Kellie Pickler with her late husband Kyle Jacobs, whose parents now call her “callous” in their feud over his estate and home.

Kellie Pickler’s In-Laws Brand Her “Callous” for Blocking Them From Late Son’s Home

Country music knows heartbreak, but sometimes it hits hardest when the lights are out, and the lawyers start circling. Just ask Kellie Pickler, now knee-deep in a brutal court fight ...

John Schneider’s ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ tribute honors Rick Hurst, pictured here as Deputy Cletus Hogg with the cast smiling.

‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Honors Rick Hurst With Heartbreaking Tribute

Sometimes, the characters you remember best weren’t the heroes behind the wheel but the guys you’d see rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when the dust settled. Rick Hurst ...

Taylor Swift smiles while strumming a guitar onstage in Nashville, sparking rumors about a possible country music return.

Taylor Swift Crashes Kane Brown’s Nashville Set and Now Everyone’s Wondering if She’s Going Country Again

Taylor Swift showed up in Nashville like a pop comet trying to burn her way back into country music’s atmosphere. It all went down at Tight End University’s charity concert ...

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton burst into laughter during a playful, no-holds-barred roast session on her talk show set.

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton Bicker Like Siblings in a New Interview and It’s TV Gold

Two country megastars walk into a studio. One has 30 number ones and a new album, while the other is hosting the show but not having it. Cue the fireworks. ...