Walker Hayes needs to write a song about JCPenney.
“I’ve been working on it,” said the “Fancy Like” singer.
That breakout hit mentions Applebee’s in the lyrics and after the tune and its dance went viral on TikTok in 2022, it led to a Grammy nomination and a commercial for the restaurant chain. Now Hayes has a new partner: the Dallas-based department store.
In the run-up to Father’s Day, Penney’s has tapped Hayes for a limited-edition, exclusive collection of menswear. The line, Walker Hayes for JCPenney, is inspired by the artist’s personal style and features a collection of casualwear including woven shirts, jackets, short-sleeve hoodies, casual Ts, shorts, pants and a cap and T-shirt sporting his signature “Duck Buck” logo.
Hayes said the retailer approached him about collaborating and he was eager to get on board.
“I’m kind of known in Nashville as not just an artist, but as a family man,” he said. “My career pretty much blossomed because of my family. The first big song I had was ‘Fancy Like,’ and it was me and my daughter doing a dance. So it hasn’t just been all about me, standing center stage being this elite superstar. It’s been about my family. And I love that, because it’s been a lot less lonely than this occupation could be. And I think that’s why JCPenney approached me — they knew first and foremost that I’m a dad and a husband, doing the best I can.”
Although his daughter Lela also became famous as a result of choreographing that dance with her dad, she’s one of six children Hayes has with his wife, Laney.
Hayes himself is the youngest of nine kids and he said that growing up, he frequently shopped at JCPenney. “I grew up in Mobile, Ala., in what I call a strip mall town. And JCPenney was where, when our pants were at our ankles, we’d replenish our wardrobe. So I have very fond memories.”
From the perspective of Penney’s, working with Hayes was a natural. “When we partner with someone, we look for kind, good people and Walker fits that bill,” said Michelle Wlazlo, chief merchandising officer for the retailer. “It’s important to work with partners that align with our brand values. Walker is the ultimate family man and someone who supports his community — which aligns perfectly with our commitment to standing with our communities.”
She said she’s still amazed that he’s able to juggle a family of seven and still pursue his craft. Add to that the fact that country music is now more popular than ever, thanks to Beyoncé and other stars embracing the genre, and the timing is perfect.
She expects the line, which retails for $20 to $89 and is available in big and tall sizes, to appeal to guys shopping for themselves as well as their families looking for Father’s Day gifts next month. In the past, Penney’s has collaborated with influencer LaDarius Campbell for its Stylus label and celebrity stylist Jason Bolden for its Worthington and J. Ferrar brands, and both of those partnerships were successful.
“We’ve always had strength in men’s,” she said, “and it’s just gotten stronger when we’ve added things like this to the assortment.”
So she’s confident the Walker Hayes collection will also be a hit. “The pieces are super easy, but the quality is there,” she said.
Hayes said he worked with the Penney’s design team on the collection, a process he admits was a little “intimidating” at first. “Most of my life, my mom, my sister, my wife or my stylist did most of my shopping,” he said. “So I don’t consider myself an expert at putting outfits together, or flying through a store pulling the right stuff off of racks. But JCPenney was so kind to include me and find items that were a little bit elevated, but also comfortable. These are items that I would wear on the stage, hanging out with family, a date night — simple things that normal laid-back guys like me do.”
There are also a few pieces that are intrinsically personal to him. He pointed to a jacket that was a redesign of one his father wore. “He’s gone now, but I just love this jacket. There’s so much life in it.”
The jacket is classic enough, he believes, that other fathers may pass it down to their sons and the stories can continue through the generations.
“This is not a line I put my name on to try and generate sales,” he said. “It’s a very personal collection for me.”
Hayes plans to introduce the collection at the iHeartRadio Country Music Festival on Saturday in Austin, where he’ll be performing. It will also be offered for sale at the Daylight Village at the festival. For those not in Austin, the Walker Hayes for JCPenney line will launch online that day before being rolled out to stores on May 16.
Hayes’ appearance at the iHeartRadio festival will serve to kick off his summer tour, also titled Duck Buck. “We’re touring starting the end of May. And we go pretty strong through September, about every Wednesday through Sunday,” he said. “My six kids and my wife and four dogs will be on that bus, covering a lot of territory. Yeah, it’s gonna be a wild summer.”
Although Lela, the oldest, is 18 and he has three sons who are 16, 14 and 12 (and two younger daughters), they are excited to join their dad touring the U.S.
“Probably two times a year, my wife and I sit down and ask them, just to make sure I’m not just dragging everybody around,” he said. Lela, who is in cosmetology school, dances in her dad’s show and gets paid for it, he said, “so I get one more summer with her at least. And then my sons still absolutely love the road. So they make it very easy for me to be present for them and I appreciate that because I want them to pursue their own dreams.”
Before “Fancy Like” made him an “overnight” success, Hayes had his share of struggles chasing his dream of being a country music star. He started out in 2004 as a songwriter but couldn’t gain any traction so to support his family, he worked at Costco from 4 a.m. until 11 a.m., he said. “So from the world’s perspective, it was overnight but it wasn’t overnight for me.”
He said he still cringes when he sees himself referred to as the “’superstar Grammy-nominated Walker Hayes,’ because really, the only difference between me now and then is a pretty simple song that the world plucked from an arsenal of the thousands I’ve written. I can’t quite explain why the universe chose the Applebee’s song, but they did. And I’m so grateful because now I’m able to provide for my family and my wife.”
But it was all those years of struggles that have kept him grounded, he believes. “I think if this had happened to me in my 20s, I might have neglected the things that matter the most to me like my relationship with my kids and my wife. So we feel very fortunate and we do not take the success or the ability to buy clothes and not be scared because we don’t have enough money, for granted. And that’s a big deal for us.”
The story of Walker Hayes’ life will soon have a wider audience. According to Variety, Hayes will be the inspiration for a scripted drama in development from Untitled Entertainment.
“Yes, it’s in the works,” Hayes confirmed. “It’s kind of a ‘Friday Night Lights’-type series based on my love story with Laney. We met in high school and, honestly, that’s more of an adventure than just the music aspect of my life. I was reading a couple of the segments and I found myself very emotional. It’s pretty heartwarming and brought back a lot of memories.”
But don’t expect Hayes to star in the show. “You don’t want me to act in it,” he said with a laugh. And although the cast hasn’t been chosen yet, is there anyone Hayes would want to portray him? Tom Cruise perhaps?
“If he was a little taller, maybe,” he said. “I’d want someone a bit cooler than me but I really have no idea. My kids said they wanted Bradley Cooper to play me. And I said, ‘OK, he’s got some swag.’”
