Walker Hayes Releases Song About Finding Comfort in Music After Daughter’s Death

Walker Hayes shares his take on his relationship with God through music and lyrics he wrote while processing the loss of his daughter, Oakleigh, who passed away before birth in 2018. The Hayes family lost Oakleigh, their seventh child, a trauma that deeply challenged the singer's sobriety and nearly unraveled years of recovery. Hayes has spoken openly about how the holiday season and Oakleigh's stillborn birth continue to stir difficult emotions.

In a recent post, Hayes described a moment of reckoning that threatened his sobriety and forced him to confront the limits of self-control. "We were gonna have to start the rehab process all over, and go back to square one," said the singer. "That was some sin in me that I just saw clearly, and thought, I need a Savior. This isn't like, 'I got this under control.' I need redemption from myself."

Hayes also detailed waking up overwhelmed by unexplained anger. "I woke up fighting mad this morning," he wrote. "No reason. Maybe the season. I would imagine a smarter person could explain why this time of year pokes so many of my internal bears. Tell me I'm not the only one."

He credited a song by Steve Moakler with shifting his perspective. "I came across a special song to me called 'Chesney' by @stevemoakler," continued Hayes. "It immediately settled me down and turned my grrrr into [sic] gratitude. All I can hear is God's redemption when I listen to it."

That experience inspired Hayes to write a new song born from grief and redemption, not directly from Oakleigh's death but from the way another song reframed his pain. "So, I wrote a song...about that song," he then shared. "You probably have a story about a song that sounded like God's arm around your shoulder. We'd love to hear it."

Hayes recently shared another deeply personal song recounting the moment of losing Oakleigh, including lines about his wife Laney's pregnancy and the empty car seat that followed. Moakler publicly offered support after Hayes' post, saying it brought him comfort and promising continued support to Hayes and his family.