Hayley Williams
Hayley Nichole Williams (born December 27, 1988) is an American singer. She is the lead vocalist and only constant member of the rock band Paramore, which she co-founded in 2004.
For other people named Hayley Williams, see Hayley Williams (disambiguation).
Hayley Williams
Hayley Nichole Williams
December 27, 1988
Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
Franklin, Tennessee, U.S.
- Singer
- musician
- songwriter
- Vocals
- keyboards
- piano
2003–present
Williams was born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi. Her parents divorced when she was 13 and she moved with her mother to Franklin, Tennessee, where she later formed Paramore alongside Josh Farro, Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis. Paramore has released six studio albums: All We Know Is Falling (2005), Riot! (2007), Brand New Eyes (2009), Paramore (2013), After Laughter (2017), and This Is Why (2023). It has featured a continuously changing line-up (currently consisting of Williams, Zac Farro, and Taylor York) with Williams being the only member to appear on all six albums.
Williams' non-Paramore musical work includes the song "Teenagers" for the soundtrack of the film Jennifer's Body (2009) and collaborations with The Chariot, October Fall, New Found Glory, Set Your Goals, and Zedd. In 2010, she was featured on the single "Airplanes" by B.o.B, which peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The sequel to the song, "Airplanes, Part II", featured new verses from B.o.B. and a guest verse from Eminem with Williams' vocals remaining. This gained a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. In 2023, she featured on Taylor Swift's re-recording of her 2010 album Speak Now on the track "Castles Crumbling". She has also released the solo EPs Petals for Armor I (2020) and Petals for Armor II (2020), the subsequent full-length solo album Petals for Armor (2020), and her second solo album Flowers for Vases / Descansos (2021).
Williams' other ventures include the music series Kiss-Off and the hair dye company Good Dye Young.
Early life[edit]
Hayley Nichole Williams[10][11] was born in Meridian, Mississippi, on December 27, 1988, the daughter of Cristi and Joey Williams.[3] She has two younger half-sisters.[12][13] Her childhood neighbor was future NBA player Rodney Hood.[14] After her parents' divorce in 2002, when she was 13, she moved with her mother to Franklin, Tennessee.[15][16][17] It was here that she met future Paramore bandmates Josh and Zac Farro at her new school.[18][19] Shortly after settling in Franklin, she began taking vocal lessons with Brett Manning.[20][21][22] While still at school, she tried out for a local funk cover band called The Factory, where she met Jeremy Davis.[19][22][23]
Artistry[edit]
Influences[edit]
Williams cites a wide range of musical acts as her influences including Debbie Harry, the Shangri-Las, Siouxsie Sioux, Gwen Stefani, Beyoncé, and Brody Dalle of the Distillers.[87]
Voice[edit]
Williams is a soprano with a four-octave range.[88] Emilee Lindner of MTV News has noted her ability to sing in the whistle register,[89] and Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone her "acrobatic" singing style.[90] Alternative Press wrote that Williams "has more charisma than singers twice her age, and her band aren't far behind in their chops, either."[91] Singer-songwriter John Mayer praised Williams's voice in an October 2007 blog post, calling her "The great orange hope" (her hair being orange at the time).[92][93]