Hayley Williams is an American singer and songwriter born on December 27, 1988. She is the lead singer and only consistent member of Paramore a rock band she helped start in 2004.
Originally from Meridian Mississippi, Williams moved to Franklin Tennessee, with her mother after her parents divorced when she was 13. There she formed Paramore with Josh Farro, Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis. The band has released six studio albums: “All We Know Is Falling,” “Riot!,” “Brand New Eyes,” “Paramore,” “After Laughter,” and “This Is Why.” The lineup has changed over the years but Williams has been the only constant member.
Outside of Paramore, Williams has worked on various music projects. She sang “Teenagers” for the movie “Jennifer’s Body” and collaborated with artists like The Chariot, October Fall, Set Your Goals, New Found Glory, and Zedd.
In 2010, she was featured on B.o.B’s hit single “Airplanes” which reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. She also appeared on “Airplanes Part II” with Eminem earning a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
In 2023, she joined Taylor Swift on the track “Castles Crumbling” from Swift’s re-recorded album “Speak Now.” Williams has also released solo music including the EPs “Petals for Armor I” and “Petals for Armor II” the album Petals for Armor and Flowers for Vases / Descansos. In addition to her music career, Williams has launched the series Kiss-Off and the hair dye company Good Dye Young.
| Full Name | Hayley Nichole Williams |
| Date of Birth | December 27, 1988 |
| Place of Birth | Meridian, Mississippi, USA |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter |
| Height | 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm) |
| Spouse | Chad Gilbert (divorced) |
| Net Worth | $14 million |
Hayley Williams’ Early Life
Hayley Nichole Williams was born on December 27, 1988, in Meridian Mississippi. She is the daughter of Cristi and Joey Williams and has two younger half-sisters. During her childhood, she lived next to future NBA player Rodney Hood.
After her parents divorced in 2002, Hayley Williams then 13 moved with her mother to Franklin, Tennessee. There she met Josh and Zac Farro who would later join her in Paramore. Hayley also began vocal lessons with Brett Manning and joined a local funk band The Factory where she met Jeremy Davis another future Paramore member.
Career
In 2003, Hayley Williams then 14 was discovered by managers Dave Steunebrink and Richard Williams and signed to a two-year production deal. At that time she was writing pop songs in Nashville.
Through Richard Williams’ lawyers, Hayley Williams met Atlantic Records A&R Tom Storms and was signed by Jason Flom. Initially Atlantic planned to make her a solo pop artist but Hayley wanted to be in a band and play pop punk music.
Atlantic agreed and Hayley formed Paramore with Josh Farro, Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis. Although Atlantic was set to release Paramore’s music they chose a smaller label Fueled by Ramen to enhance the band’s image.
The name “Paramore” was inspired by the maiden name of a former bass player’s mother. The band’s debut album “All We Know Is Falling” was released in 2005 when Hayley was just 16.
Paramore has since released several albums: “Riot!,” “Brand New Eyes,” “Paramore” “After Laughter,” and “This Is Why.” In 2009, Taylor York joined the band officially although he had been touring with them since 2007. The Farro brothers left in 2010 with Josh criticizing the band as a “manufactured product” of a major label.
In 2006, Paramore toured the UK and supported “The Blackout” at the “Give It A Name Festival” in Europe. The next year they appeared in New Found Glory’s “Kiss Me” video.
Hayley Williams won “Sexiest Female” in Kerrang! readers’ polls from 2008 to 2012. She also appeared as a character in Guitar Hero World Tour.
In 2014, Hayley Williams received the “Trailblazer Award” at Billboard’s Women in Music Awards. She starred as ‘Crimson Curse’ in Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” video in 2015.
With Taylor York, she won a Grammy for Best Rock Song for “Ain’t It Fun” and was named Best Vocalist at the APMA in 2015.
In 2009, Hayley Williams wrote “Teenagers” for the “Jennifer’s Body” soundtrack but had no plans for a solo career at that time. She featured on B.o.B’s “Airplanes” in 2010, which became a top-ten hit worldwide.
She also collaborated with Zedd on “Stay the Night” in 2013 and with American Football on “Uncomfortably Numb” in 2019.
On her 31st birthday in December 2019, Hayley Williams announced her solo project “Petals for Armor.” Her debut single “Simmer” and the album were released in early 2020.
She later released the EP “Petals for Armor I” and postponed the second part instead releasing “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris” featuring Boygenius.
In January 2021, she teased a project called “Flowers for Vases / Descansos” and released the album in February. On June 5, 2023, it was announced that Hayley would feature on Taylor Swift’s re-recorded album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on the track “Castles Crumbling.”
Net Worth
Hayley Williams has an estimated net worth of $10 Million as of 2024, according toCelebrity Net Worth. The main source of Hayley Williams’s net worth comes from her music career.
She gained fame as the lead singer of the band Paramore, which has sold millions of albums and earned her significant income from record sales, tours, and merchandise.
Additionally, she has made money from her solo music projects and collaborations with other artists. Beyond music, Williams has also earned through her business ventures, including her own beauty and hair care line, which contributes to her overall net worth.
Personal life
Hayley Williams has openly shared her Christian faith and how it influences her music, but she’s also critiqued some Christians for being overly judgmental. The Farro brothers left Paramore partly because they disagreed with the religious themes in the band’s album “Brand New Eyes” which they felt conflicted with their own beliefs.
In late 2007, Hayley Williams started dating Chad Gilbert the lead guitarist of New Found Glory. They got engaged on Christmas Day 2014 and married on February 20, 2016.
However, they announced their separation on July 1, 2017, due to Gilbert’s infidelity, and finalized their divorce by the end of that year. By September 2022, Williams confirmed she was dating her Paramore bandmate Taylor York.
Williams has previously avoided smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs but now drinks alcohol. She has openly talked about her struggles with depression which led her to briefly leave Paramore in mid-2015.
In interviews over the years, she has shared her experiences with mental health issues including suicidal thoughts in 2020 and a PTSD diagnosis in 2018. She has been in therapy since 2018.
In 2015, Hayley Williams addressed feminist critiques of Paramore’s song “Misery Business” explaining that her youth at the time influenced the song’s lyrics. She described herself as a “proud feminist” though she acknowledged she wasn’t perfect.
After the George Floyd protests in 2020, Williams handed over her Instagram account to the activist group Teens4Equality to support their work for the Black Lives Matter movement.
In 2021, she decided to step back from her social media to maintain boundaries between her public and private life encouraging fans to follow Paramore’s official accounts instead. Although she later returned to Instagram she disabled comments on her posts.
In 2022, Williams supported Beto O’Rourke in his campaign for Texas governor.
Other ventures
In March 2013, Hayley Williams announced a new makeup collection with MAC Cosmetics set to launch on April 9, 2013. The collection featured bright orange lipstick, matching nail polish, shimmery coral eye shadow, and a beauty powder.
In the same month, she graced the cover of Nylon magazine to promote Paramore’s new album. Later in October, she supported Hard Rock Café’s PINKTOBER campaign to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research.
In 2015, Hayley Williams debuted an online beauty and music series called Kiss-Off on Popular TV.
In 2019, she shared an Instagram story praising the 2018 Pool Kids album “Music to Practice Safe Sex” which drew attention to the relatively new band.
In November 2020, Hayley Williams released a candle in collaboration with Apothekeco a home fragrance brand.
In March 2021, she teamed up with Tea Huntress to create two new tea blends Bloom and Alibi. A portion of the sales from these blends supports Thistle Farms an organization aiding women who have survived trafficking abuse and addiction.
In 2016, after years of planning, Williams launched Good Dye Young a vegan and cruelty-free hair dye company with her makeup artist Brian O’Connor. The company offers a range of vibrant hair colors including Riot (orange), Ex-Girl (pink), Blue Ruin (blue), Steal My Sunshine (yellow), Rock Lobster (red), PPL Eater (purple), Kowabunga (green), Narwhal (teal), and None More Black (black).
In 2017, Good Dye Young introduced Poser Paste a temporary dye that washes out in one use. By May 2020 they expanded their line to include Lighter Daze a collection of five pastel semi-permanent colors.
Measurements
Hayley Williams stands at a height of 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm). She has a slim and toned build, with a weight of about 125 pounds (57 kg). Her body measurements are approximately 34-26-34 inches (86-66-86 cm), showcasing a balanced figure with an athletic edge.
Her bust measures around 34 inches, and her bra size is 32C. This size complements her slender waist of 26 inches, accentuating her natural curves. Her hips measure 34 inches, contributing to her well-proportioned silhouette.
Hayley typically wears a US dress size 4 (UK 8) and a US shoe size 6.5 (EU 37). These measurements reflect her versatile style and her ability to wear a wide range of fashion looks with confidence.
