The face on the picture of this article may look faintly familiar if you have read any of the past articles. Last year I had the privilege to interview Connor Hayes of The Mylon Hayes Family, and this year I was given the opportunity to interview his identical twin brother, 21-year-old Bailey Hayes.
While you can quite easily see that they are identical twins, what you may not know is that the brothers are also considered mirror twins. Bailey explains, “A lot about our appearance is opposite. One example is our hair goes opposite directions, and when we look at each other it goes the same way like a mirror!” Bailey also considers themselves as built-in best friends. “Having a built-in best friend is a cool thing. Always having someone to talk to or hang out with is the best!”
Their features may be opposite, but their love and gift and calling for gospel music is very similar. Yet each is gifted with their own special way to deliver and perform gospel music, which Bailey calls, “the greatest music there is.” And when asked what his favorite part about getting to do what he does, he answers, “Getting to sing my favorite style…I have a passion for gospel music and the songs we are privileged to sing! Also, meeting so many wonderful people is definitely a highlight! Not only does Bailey Hayes sing, but he is also an excellent piano player, and one major influencer in this area has been Gerald Wolfe. The young musician says, “Gerald Wolfe has been one of the biggest influences on my life and passion for gospel music! He’s always been so kind and even given some pointers on the piano along the way! I definitely look up to him a lot, not just as a musician or singer, but as a person!”
A passion for people is necessary in music ministry in order to sustain the not-so-glamorous parts of life on the road, which Bailey describes as “All-night drives that all seem to come at one time haha! Driving all night three nights in a row is tough, but I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything in the world!” Speaking of memories, Bailey recalls a couple favorite experiences from his singing career: “One of my favorite places we’ve been to is probably the Canadian Rockies! I just thought I had seen mountains until we saw those!…One of the most memorable things we’ve had was when we were able to be a part of a Hymn Sing segment on the Dove Awards! Definitely a highlight!”
Not only do the highlights in this young man’s life come in the form of singing, but also in sports. He says, “I love sports! Getting outside and throwing a baseball, a football, or even a frisbee is something I love doing in my free time, even on the road!” Aside from sports and singing, there are a few things Bailey lists that he could never live without — “(1) Hats! I love hats haha! I wear a hat virtually every day we’re home, and take a hat for about every day we are on the road. (2) Mtn Dew, it’s my favorite soft drink! (3) Coffee!!!! I drink a cup almost every morning, and sometimes another at night.”
Chick-fil-A is another important part of Bailey’s life. In fact, if he could only eat one meal for the rest of his life, he says it would be a “Chick-fil-A sandwich, large fries, and a large sweet tea! I eat Chick-fil-A a lot anyways, so I could definitely eat it for the rest of my life haha!” And if he wasn’t singing gospel music, he says, “I love Chick-fil-A, so I would probably pursue a career in hopes of working in managing or even owning a franchise.”
From traveling the Canadian Rockies, to the Dove Awards, and to getting up in front of a crowd to sing every night, it would be easy to get weary along the journey, but Bailey has learned the secret to strength and enjoying the journey — “Stay consistent in reading God’s Word. Whether it’s just a verse, a chapter, or an entire book at a time, the spiritual nourishment it gives my soul is vitally important as we strive to spread the gospel through Gospel Music.”
As a young singer belonging to the next generation, he has learned some pretty valuable things that his fellow young people could take to heart. “Being a good listener is one of the most important things I could tell another young person to be. Whether it’s listening to your parents or being a listening ear for a friend who is hurting. Listening can be extremely influential, not only in your life, but in the life of someone else who may be hurting.” Consistency is another trait that Bailey views as vitally important and a pathway to bringing this music to the younger generation. “Consistency. If we are consistent in our presentation of the Savior we are singing about, I believe people will have an interest in and love to learn this music!” It is so encouraging to know that there are young people like Bailey Hayes who are confident in their calling, grounded in this music, and faithful to the God they worship. He states, “I feel that the Lord has called me to music ministry and I’m pursuing that!
But no matter where Bailey is singing, what he is singing, or who he is singing to, one thing remains the same of him and his family — the power of the God they proclaim and the passion and proficiency with which they perform. Bailey says that his favorite song to sing is Resurrection Power. “The message is just so powerful! The thought that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives inside of us as Christians! What a thought!!”
