Biography
The story of pop-rock country singer-songwriter Hailey Newman - begins in a small and quaint mountain town in Eastern Kentucky. Born in Pikeville, and living just outside of Prestonsburg, Hailey calls the heart of Appalachia home, which makes her a true bluegrass girl at heart. She possesses a strong sense of family, music, culture and a small town, tight-knit sense of community. Life philosophies which have been at the core of her upbringing.
“My parents always encouraged me to just go for what I want in life, and were always very supportive of me and my pursuit to becoming a singer-songwriter,” Hailey explains. “My cousin is a comedian who also plays guitar, but other than that, I’m basically starting my own little musical revolution on my side of the family” she says smiling.
Hailey first realized she wanted to be a singer after she performed for her 8th grade talent show at South Floyd Middle School in 2015. After belting out her very best version of Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart,” she received a cheerful and energetic response from her audience which she interpreted as a life-calling.
“After I got up on stage and looked out into the crowd, I knew right then and there that this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Hailey recalled. “Seeing all those people just having fun, and being happy together during my performance is something I will never forget.”
With that new found confidence, Hailey performed her first show to the public in 2015 during a popular open mic show called Front Porch Picking at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. She once again impressed her audience with a spirited delivery of Carrie Underwood’s “Two Black Cadillacs,” further cementing her internal desire to become a singer-songwriter.
Having grown up in an impoverished area of Appalachia, Hailey was inevitably exposed to people living through some form of personal or communal struggle and difficulties. Her sister and best friend included, who has battled severe depression and anxiety. That’s why Hailey has always looked up and aspired to be like other strong-willed women in music, such as Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Kelsea Ballerini.
“They’ve always been role models for me,” she explains. “Those girls are very courageous and show personal empowerment through many of the songs they sing. They just have that fierce presence whether on or off stage, and have inspired me to bring that same type of element into my own approach with music and performing.”
In 2015 Hailey met Bernard Porter, of Nashville’s PCG Artist Development, at the Road To Fame talent show being held in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. That meeting inevitably helped launch Hailey’s music career into a new direction.
In 2020, she released her first five songs; “Fine By Me,” “Never Mine,” “Always With Me,” “Now I Know,” & “Driving Me Crazy” which gives her fans and listeners a metaphoric window into her life’s story. More recently, she’s been collaborating with veteran songwriters Doug Kahan (Trick Pony, Clay Walker, Jon Pardi), Holly Lamar (Jo Dee Messina, Wynonna Judd, Faith Hill), and Drew Womack (Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw) who’ve been helping develop her personal feelings and life’s stories into her own musical creations.
“I want my listeners to know that I am just an average person, who is also experiencing daily problems and overcoming obstacles in life,” she confides.
In 2022 Hailey Newman, is set to release a series of new songs and videos which continue to build upon her firm foundation of turning her own life’s stories into music. She just wants to put out music that her fans and listeners can relate to and draw inspiration from.
“The main thing I want my listeners to know is that their feelings are valid. They’re legit. They matter. And they aren’t alone. Just hang in there, be strong, and know there is always a light at the end of every dark tunnel. Maybe my music will be that light for them.”