Hunter Hayes Reflects On Performing With Hank Williams Jr. At 5 Years Old

Hunter Hayes reflected on the “out-of-body experience he had when he shared the stage with Hank Williams Jr.

Hayes, now 34, was about 5 years old when he joined the country legend on stage during his Country Fest performance at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997. Hayes spoke about that moment during a conversation with Bobby Bones on an episode of The BobbyCast. The iHeartRadio personality and podcast host shared a clip from their conversation on Instagram on Wednesday (April 15), including a glimpse of the moment Williams welcomed Hayes to the stage. Hayes played the accordion as the pair sang “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” together.

“I remember standing side stage, and my dad gave me some sharpies to play drums to keep me busy while I was waiting for my little moment on stage,” Hayes said on The BobbyCast. “And I broke every sharpie that he gave me, so there was ink everywhere on the accordion case. I don’t remember being on stage at all. I don’t know how you could. There were 260,000 people there during Hank’s set. I have no idea what that part was like because that was an out-of-body experience as much as you can have one.”

The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist appeared on The BobbyCast about a month after he released Evergreen. The long-awaited project “started as a series of letters from my future self,” Hayes previously shared in a statement. “In some ways a prayer, and in some ways manifestation. I wanted to make a project from the future. It’s full of hope, optimism, light and love. It’s an escape from reality as well as a new way to appreciate the good things in our everyday life, and how every experience shapes us to better and brighter versions of ourselves as we create a better version of our future.”

Hayes is in the midst of his “Evergreen Tour” with BLÜ EYES and Franklin Jonas & The Byzantines on select dates. See the remaining tour stops below.

Throughout their conversation on The BobbyCast, Hayes spoke with Bobby Bones about “what it was really like growing up in music, from performing at just 4 years old to becoming one of country music’s young stars. He opens up about the pressure of child stardom, why he eventually stepped away from Nashville, and what led him back to making music on his own terms. Hunter also shares what it felt like living a double life at times, balancing the expectations that came with early success while still trying to figure out who he was away from the spotlight. He talks about the freedom that came with leaving, the perspective he gained during that chapter, and how it shaped the way he creates now. Plus, Hunter gets into his love of Coldplay, the inspiration behind his new album, and why this next season of music feels different than anything he’s done before,” the episode’s description reads. Find the full episode on iHeartRadio or watch on Netflix.

EVERGREEN TOUR DATES:

April 16th, 2026 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre+

April 17th, 2026 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom+

April 18th, 2026 - Huntingdon, TN - The Dixie Carter PAC+

April 19th, 2026 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre+

April 22nd, 2026 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage Theater+

April 23rd, 2026 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl+

April 24th, 2026 - Cornelius, NC - Cain Center for the Arts+

April 26th, 2026 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall+

*with support from BLÜ EYES

+with support from Franklin Jonas & The Byzantines