The Kid From Cajun Country Who Sang Jambalaya With Hank Williams Jr.
A Tiny Accordion and a Big Destiny
There's one story that tells you just about everything you need to know about Hunter Hayes. On June 14, 1997, at CountryFest '97 at Texas Motor Speedway outside Fort Worth, a five-year-old from Breaux Bridge walked out during Hank Williams Jr.'s set with an accordion almost as big as he was. Hank Jr. asked what he wanted to play, and the tiny blonde kid said he wanted to do something called Jambalaya. He played the intro, sang the song Hank Jr.'s father, Hank Williams, made famous, and the crowd went wild. Hunter Hayes later told Bobby Bones on The BobbyCast that 260,000 people were there, and he doesn't remember being onstage at all.
That moment wasn't a fluke. It was just a Tuesday in the life of Hunter Hayes.
Born Into the Music
Hunter Hayes was born on September 9, 1991, in Breaux Bridge, in the heart of Louisiana's Acadiana region. Most Friday nights of his early childhood were spent at Mulate's, the Cajun restaurant a couple of blocks from home, where live bands played. For his second birthday, his grandmother gave him a toy accordion, and he started picking up Cajun songs by ear from the radio. By four, Hunter was playing with the Lee Benoit Band at Mulate's, and by five he was the frontman.
From the White House to Nashville
The appearances came fast. At four, he was singing Cajun songs in French and English on national television, on shows like Maury, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, and Nickelodeon's Figure It Out, where Jambalaya was once again his song. He even shared the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival stage with Wayne Toups.
In 1996, Robert Duvall was filming The Apostle in Acadiana when he caught Hunter Hayes playing at Mulate's. Duvall cast him in the film, the two families became friends, and Duvall showed up at Hunter's birthday party with his very first guitar and amp.
At seven, he performed for President Bill Clinton at a White House lawn party. At nine, he released Through My Eyes, the first of five independent albums. He shared stages with Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, and Charlie Daniels, and at 13 he played Hank Williams' Hey Good Lookin' on America's Most Talented Kids like he'd been doing it his whole life, because honestly, he kind of had. In 2008, at 17, he and his family moved to Nashville.
The Louisiana Kid Who Kept Growing
The Hunter Hayes story never stopped at "talented kid from Louisiana." He taught himself more than 30 instruments, and by middle school he was so hooked on recording that he asked for a digital eight-track for Christmas, he told Songwriting Magazine. In Nashville, he signed with Universal Music Publishing Group, co-wrote Play for Rascal Flatts' Nothing Like This, wrote with Montgomery Gentry, and landed a deal with Atlantic Records Nashville.
Making Chart History at 21
His self-titled debut, Hunter Hayes, arrived October 11, 2011, a month after he turned 20. He co-wrote every song, played every instrument, and co-produced it with Dann Huff. In 2012, its second single, Wanted, hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, making Hunter Hayes, at 21, the youngest solo male artist ever to top it and breaking a record Johnny Rodriguez had held since 1973.
That same year he was named CMA New Artist of the Year, and he earned three nominations at the 2013 Grammys, including Best New Artist, the first of five Grammy nominations to date. The album, later expanded as Hunter Hayes (Encore), went on to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.
Evergreen and Still Growing
Almost three decades after that accordion intro, Hunter Hayes is still finding new sounds. On March 6, 2026, he released Evergreen, a 10-track album he co-produced with Alex Flagstad and the final chapter of a trilogy that began with Wild Blue and Red Sky. Hayes describes it as "a letter from your future self," and it moves easily between country, pop, folk, R&B, and indie rock. He celebrated by performing the title track on The Kelly Clarkson Show and returning to the Grand Ole Opry stage for the first time since 2018.
Fans have been right there with him. The Evergreen Tour carried him to more than 20 U.S. cities in the spring, and a dozen more shows out West followed through the fall. The kid who walked onstage with an accordion is still out there, still playing, and still bringing people along for the ride.
Rooted in Acadiana
Hunter Hayes didn't just come from Breaux Bridge. He was shaped by it, from his grandmother's toy accordion to Friday nights at Mulate's. He has carried that spirit from Hank Jr.'s stage to the Opry and now into Evergreen. That little town in Acadiana raised not just a country star but a musician who is still growing, with Louisiana behind every note.
Follow Hunter Hayes
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hunter Hayes from?
Hunter Hayes was born on September 9, 1991, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, in the heart of the state's Acadiana region.
How old was Hunter Hayes when he sang Jambalaya with Hank Williams Jr.?
He was five years old when Hank Williams Jr. brought him onstage at CountryFest '97 at Texas Motor Speedway in June 1997 to play accordion and sing Jambalaya.
How many instruments does Hunter Hayes play?
Hunter Hayes plays more than 30 instruments, and he played every instrument on his 2011 self-titled debut album.
What record did Hunter Hayes break with Wanted?
When Wanted reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in 2012, Hunter Hayes became the youngest solo male artist to top that chart, breaking a record Johnny Rodriguez set in 1973.
Love Stories Like This?
Subscribe to the Louisiana Country Music Newsletter for more artist spotlights, new releases, and stories from artists with Louisiana roots.
Follow your favorite Louisiana artists HERE.
This article is for informational and editorial purposes only. Details such as release dates, event information, and artist updates are subject to change. Featuring an artist does not imply any endorsement, partnership, representation, or business relationship unless explicitly stated. All trademarks, images, and music referenced remain the property of their respective owners.
Comments