Country music singer Wade Hayes joins Circling the Drain for an intimate conversation about his remarkable journey through life's challenges. From battling stage four colon cancer to navigating the music industry, Wade shares his inspiring story of survival, his Oklahoma roots, and his passion for authentic country music. Hear about his early days playing in honky tonks, his breakthrough hits like "Old Enough to Know Better", and his upcoming reimagined greatest hits album. Wade opens up about his musical influences, his near-death experience, and the gratitude that keeps him grounded in the ever-changing world of country music.
[0:00:00] - Wade discusses his miraculous cancer survival, noting he was given only a 5% chance of survival
[0:05:57] - Wade shares his move to Nashville at 22 with just $450, determined to pursue music
[0:08:02] - Pivotal moment: Ricky Skaggs' CMA Awards speech inspires Wade to pursue his music career
[0:09:38] - Wade describes how record labels discovered him while playing lead guitar for Johnny Lee
[0:13:32] - Detailed discussion of his stage four colon cancer diagnosis at age 42
[0:21:39] - Wade talks about his musical influences, particularly praising Vince Gill's incredible talent
[0:34:43] - Story of how he met his wife Leah, with John Rich playing matchmaker
[0:37:04] - Wade discusses his upcoming Greatest Hits album, where he's re-recording and reimagining his classic songs
[0:39:47] - Conversation about his hit song "Tore Up" and why he stopped performing it for years
Follow Johnny B:
https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman
Follow Jay Harper:
https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff
Follow Jim:
Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co