Profile Text
Williams in 2010, photo by s_bukley /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Hayley Nichole Williams
Place of Birth: Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 27, 1988
Ethnicity: English, Welsh, other
Hayley Williams is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and businessperson. She is the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and keyboardist of rock band Paramore. She launched the hair dye company Good Dye Young.
Hayley is the daughter of Cristi and Joey Williams. She was raised partly in Franklin, Tennessee.
Hayley is sometimes said to have Irish, Scottish, and German ancestry. It is not clear if this is accurate, but white Southerners usually have at least some degree of Scots-Irish and German roots.
Hayley’s paternal grandfather is Howard Cook “Rusty” Williams, Jr. (the son of Howard Cook Williams and Edra Nell “Edie” Hamrick). Rusty was born in Alabama, and has deep roots in the U.S. Hayley’s great-grandfather Howard was the son of John Cook Williams and Mary Lucille Meeks. Edra was the daughter of George David Hamrick and Acenie Bonds.
Hayley’s paternal grandmother is named Sharon D.
Hayley’s maternal grandmother was Billie Dell Smith (the daughter of William Albert Smith and Mary Vondell Cooper). Billie was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and had deep roots in the U.S. Albert was the son of Louis Ernest Smith and Laura Nicholas Clark. Mary was the daughter of Sam Calvin Cooper and Bulah Williamson.
Sources: Genealogy of Hayley Williams (focusing on her father’s side) – https://gw.geneanet.org
Obituary of Hayley’s paternal great-grandmother, Edra Nell “Edie” Williams – http://www.robertbarhamffh.com
Obituary of Hayley’s maternal grandmother, Billie Dell (Smith) Dixon – https://www.legacy.com