10 Things You Didn’t Know about Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams is an American musician. She should be best-known to most people for being the lead vocalist of the rock band Paramore. However, there are those who will know her because of her other projects, both inside of the music industry and outside of the music industry. Very recently, Hayley Williams’s name has shown up in the news because she is selling her Nashville home for $1 million.
1. Born in Meridian, MS
Williams was born in Meridian, MS. The city is situated at the junction of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Southern Railway. Something that turned it into a center of trade as well as manufacturing in earlier times. Amusingly, Meridian is actually named for this fact. As the story goes, the inhabitants had a dispute about what they wanted to name the settlement. The more industrial residents wanted “Meridian” because they thought it was synonymous with “junction.” Meanwhile, the more rural residents wanted “Sowashee,” which referred to a local creek. Eventually, the more industrial residents won out because of an influx of railroad workers.
2. Moved to Franklin, TN
In 2002, Williams’s parents divorced. As a result, she went with her mother to live in Franklin, TN, which is one of the most notable cities that can be found in the Nashville metropolitan area. This was important because Williams met a number of her future bandmates there. For example, she met both Josh and Zac Farro at her new school. Similarly, she met Jeremy Davis when she tried out for a local funk cover band.
3. Used to Be Neighbors with Rodney Hood
When Williams was still in Meridian, MS, her neighbor was Rodney Hood. For those who are unfamiliar, Hood is a NBA player who has played for five NBA teams so far. Having said that, he wasn’t aware that his neighbor had become a famous musician until very recent times. Something that happened because of Williams’s tweet on the topic, which in turn, caused Hood to be asked about the whole thing in March of 2021.
4. Didn’t Want to Be a Solo Pop Artist
In any case, Williams was discovered by a couple of managers in 2003, with the result that she received a two-year production deal. Initially, Atlantic Records planned for her to become a solo pop artist. However, Williams declined because she wanted to be a part of a band playing pop or punk music. Fortunately, the record label decided to go along with her wishes, which is how she winded up forming her band with the aforementioned individuals.
5. Her Band Name Came from a Person’s Name
When people hear the name “Paramore,” they tend to think of the word “paramour.” However, it is important to remember that Paramore is written as “Paramore,” which is very clearly not “paramour.” Indeed, the band’s name came from the maiden name of one of their first bass players’ mother. Having said that, “paramour” is still somewhat relevant because Paramore decided to use the name when they learned about the meaning of “paramour.”
6. Has a Hair Dye Company
It isn’t uncommon for successful entertainers to use their success to become involved in some kind of related business. For instance, Williams is often seen with dyed hair, so it makes a fair amount of sense for her to wind up with a hair dye company of her very own called Good Dye Young. It is interesting to note that the company emphasizes the vegan as well as the cruelty-free nature of its products, which presumably are connected to Williams’s beliefs as well as other decision-makers’ beliefs.
7. Has Been Involved in Other Businesses
Naturally, Williams has been involved in other businesses as well. For example, she teamed up with MAC Cosmetics, thus resulting in the release of a new line of cosmetics in 2013. Similarly, she became involved with a tea manufacturer called Tea Huntress in 2021, thus resulting in a couple of new blends called Bloom and Alibi. It is interesting to note that a portion of the sales from these two blends has been designated for Thistle Farms, which is an organization that helps out women struggling with abuse, addiction, and trafficking.
8. Christian But Not a Member of a Christian Band
Williams is a Christian. Furthermore, she is a Christian who is more than willing to talk about the role that her religion has played in her music as well as the rest of her life. However, Williams has stated that Paramore isn’t a Christian band. On top of that, she has shown disapproval at what she calls the judgmental nature of some members of the Christian community. Regardless, faith seems to be quite important to Williams. Further evidence of this can be seen in how diverging opinions on their shared faith was one of the factors that motivated the departure of the Farro brothers from her band.
9. Has Been Public about Her Opposition to Drinking, Smoking, and Recreational Drugs
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Williams is opposed to drinking, smoking, and recreational drugs. Moreover, she has been quite open about her positions on said topic. In this, Williams can point to plenty of predecessors. After all, straight edge was a subculture within the broader punk movement that came into existence in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It shared punk’s emphasis on individuality, emphasis on living for the moment, as well as other ideals. However, straight edge also distinguished itself because of its hostility towards the excesses of the broader punk movement, which became its best-known characteristic in the public eye.
10. Has Struggled with Depression
Williams has revealed that she struggled with depression, not least because of the generational trauma in her life. At one point, she apparently experienced suicidal thoughts, though she never acted upon them. Williams’s depression is also the reason that she left Paramore for a short time in mid 2015.
