Age, Biography, and Wiki
Hayley Nichole Williams was born on December 27, 1988, in Meridian, Mississippi, and is currently 36 years old as of 2025. She is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, most famous as the lead vocalist and only constant member of the rock band Paramore. The band formed in 2004 and quickly rose to prominence with their energetic pop-punk sound and Williams’ emotionally charged lyrics. Throughout her career, she has established herself as a formidable presence in the music industry, known for her distinctive voice and vibrant image.
| Occupation | Punk Singer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 27 December 1988 |
| Age | 36 Years |
| Birth Place | Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight & Measurements
While Hayley Williams has not publicly disclosed her exact height, weight, or detailed body measurements, most reputable sources estimate her height to be around 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm). She is recognized for her signature vibrant hair colors and energetic stage presence.
| Height | 5 feet 2 inches |
| Weight | |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Hayley Williams has kept much of her personal life private, but it is known that she was previously married to Chad Gilbert of the band New Found Glory. The couple married in 2016 but separated in 2017 and subsequently finalized their divorce in 2017. As of recent years, Williams has preferred to keep her romantic relationships out of the public eye.
Her parents divorced when she was 13 and she moved with her mother to Franklin, Tennessee, where she later formed Paramore alongside Josh Farro, Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis. Paramore has released six studio albums: All We Know Is Falling (2005), Riot! (2007), Brand New Eyes (2009), Paramore (2013), After Laughter (2017), and This Is Why (2023). It has featured a continuously changing line-up (currently consisting of Williams, Zac Farro, and Taylor York) with Williams being the only member to appear on all six albums. Along with York, Williams won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song for the song "Ain't It Fun".
She has two younger half-sisters. Her childhood neighbor was future NBA player Rodney Hood. After her parents' divorce in 2002, when she was 13, she moved with her mother to Franklin, Tennessee. It was here that she met future Paramore bandmates Josh and Zac Farro at her new school. Shortly after settling in Franklin, she began taking vocal lessons with Brett Manning. While still at school, she tried out for a local funk cover band called The Factory, where she met future Paramore bandmate Jeremy Davis.
Atlantic decided to go along with her wishes, and she then formed Paramore with Josh Farro, Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis. The music of Paramore was originally supposed to come out on Atlantic Records, but the label's marketing department decided it would be better for the image of the band to not have them attached to a huge label. They instead released their music through a "cooler" niche label, Fueled by Ramen. According to Williams, the name "Paramore" came from the maiden name of the mother of one of their first bass players. Once the group learned the meaning of the homophone "paramour" ("secret lover"), they decided to adopt the name, using the Paramore spelling. The band's debut album, All We Know Is Falling, was released in 2005 when Hayley was only 16 years old. Paramore has since released five more studio albums, Riot! (2007), Brand New Eyes (2009), the self-titled Paramore (2013), After Laughter (2017) and This Is Why (2023). In June 2009, the band welcomed Taylor York (rhythm guitar) as an official member, although he had already been playing as a touring member with the band since 2007. In December 2010, Josh and Zac Farro left the band. The news was posted by Williams on Paramore's website, with Josh later posting a blog post confirming their departure, calling the group "a manufactured product of a major label, riding on the coattails of 'Hayley's dream'". In 2006, Paramore toured outside of the US for the first time, which included a headline tour of the UK and supporting post-hardcore rock band The Blackout on the Give It A Name Festival in Europe. The following year, she and the rest of Paramore made an appearance in the music video for "Kiss Me" by New Found Glory. In the 2007 Kerrang! Readers' Poll, she finished second to Evanescence's Amy Lee in the "Sexiest Female" category, going on to win the first place spot for "Sexiest Female" a year later in the 2008 poll, and again in the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 poll. She also appears as a playable character in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour after completing "Misery Business" in the vocalist campaign.
In late 2007, Williams began dating New Found Glory lead guitarist Chad Gilbert, though he was already married to Sherri DuPree, the lead singer of the rock band Eisley. They became engaged on Christmas Day in 2014, and were married on February 20, 2016. They formally announced that they had separated on July 1, 2017, with Gilbert's infidelity later being revealed as the reason, and their divorce was finalized by the end of the year. Williams's song, "Dead Horse", was inspired by their relationship and what she did to DuPree. In September 2022, Williams confirmed she was in a relationship with her Paramore bandmate Taylor York.
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| Husband | Chad Gilbert (m. 2016-2017) |
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Net Worth and Salary
Hayley Williams’ net worth has been a topic of much discussion in recent years. As of 2025, most updated sources estimate her net worth to be between $10 million and $25 million, with some newer reports citing the higher figure due to her expanding solo projects, Paramore’s enduring success, and profitable business ventures. Her annual salary from music royalties, tours, merchandise, and endorsements is significant, but exact figures are not publicly available.
Career, Business, and Investments
Hayley Williams’ career is multifaceted, combining music, entrepreneurship, and influencer status in the beauty industry:
- Paramore: As the lead vocalist and primary songwriter, Williams has released six studio albums with Paramore, earning critical acclaim and a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 2015 for "Ain’t It Fun".
- Solo Projects: In 2020, she released her debut solo album, "Petals for Armor," which showcased her versatility and further expanded her fan base.
- Good Dye Young: In 2016, Williams co-founded Good Dye Young, a vegan and cruelty-free hair dye company, with her makeup artist, Brian O’Connor. The brand is celebrated for its bold, vibrant colors and has become a popular choice among fans and celebrities alike.
- Real Estate: In 2019, she listed her historic Franklin, Tennessee home for $1 million, demonstrating savvy investments beyond the entertainment industry.
Williams wrote and recorded the song "Teenagers", which was featured in the soundtrack for the feature film Jennifer's Body. After the release of "Teenagers", Williams stated that she had no plans to establish herself as a solo artist. In 2010, she appeared on the tracks "Airplanes" and "Airplanes, Part II" from alternative rapper B.o.B's debut album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. When it was released as a single, "Airplanes" peaked within the top ten in nineteen countries, including the number one position in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. EDM producer Zedd and Williams collaborated on the track "Stay the Night", from his debut studio album, Clarity, which was released in 2013. In 2019, she collaborated with American Football on the song Uncomfortably Numb, which appeared on the band's third self-titled studio album.
In December 2019, on her 31st birthday, Williams announced she would be releasing solo music in 2020, with a "taste" of it to come in January. Flyers consisting of a picture of Williams under the title Petals for Armor began appearing in several US cities and abroad. Her debut solo single "Simmer" was released on January 22, 2020, with its accompanying music video. That same day Williams announced that her debut studio album, Petals for Armor, would be released on May 8, 2020. It was later revealed that she would release an EP, Petals for Armor I, on February 6, 2020, in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music. On March 19, she announced that she was postponing the release of the second half of the EP, and instead released the song "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris" featuring Boygenius. A solo tour in promotion of the album was postponed from May 2020 then canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2024, Williams announced plans to play the cancelled shows in 2025.
In March 2013, Williams announced she was partnering with MAC Cosmetics for the release of a new makeup collection on April 9, 2013. The four-piece collection included a bright orange lipstick, an orange nail polish, a shimmery coral eye shadow and a beauty powder. Hayley appeared on the April 2013 cover of Nylon magazine to promote Paramore's self-titled album. In October, she partnered with the Hard Rock Café's PINKTOBER charity campaign to raise awareness and funding for breast cancer and its research.
In 2016, after over four years of planning, Williams launched the hair dye company Good Dye Young alongside her hair and makeup artist Brian O'Connor. The colors offered by the company included an orange called Riot, a pink called Ex-Girl, a blue called Blue Ruin, a yellow called Steal My Sunshine, a red called Rock Lobster, a purple called PPL Eater, a green called Kowabunga, a teal called Narwhal, and a black called None More Black. The dyes are vegan and cruelty-free. In 2017, Good Dye Young launched a temporary hair dye line that disappears after one wash called Poser Paste, and in May 2020, they released Lighter Daze, a range of five semi-permanent pastel colors.
Social Network
Hayley Williams is active on various social media platforms, including Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. She uses these channels to connect with fans, promote her music and business ventures, and share insights into her personal life and creative process. Her YouTube channel features music videos, behind-the-scenes content, and solo performances, though direct monetization from these platforms appears to be a smaller fraction of her overall income.
In a 2019 interview with l'Odet, Williams was asked if she would "stay in Paramore for a long time" and answered, "In moving forward, if the three of us are happy, then we will just do whatever we want to do. If that means collaborating with each other, bringing other friends in to collaboratethere are seven band members when we tour. We're all friends and we all make music in different parts, together. So I feel like, yes, I want to be in Paramore... I've been in a band with them since I was 12. I don't think the band is going anywhere. As long as we're friends, the band just is. It's just in us."
In January 2021, Williams started teasing a project titled Flowers for Vases / Descansos. She unofficially released the single "My Limb" by giving a CD with the track on it to a dedicated fan. Williams released the album on February 5, 2021. On June 5, 2023, it was announced that Williams would be featured on Taylor Swift's re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version), on the song "Castles Crumbling". Along with Blood Orange, Williams appeared on the Turnstile track "Seein' Stars", which released on April 30, 2025 ahead of their new album Never Enough. Williams collaborated with Moses Sumney on his song "I Like It I Like It", which released on May 8, 2025.
In 2019, Williams posted an Instagram story about the 2018 Pool Kids album Music to Practice Safe Sex to, saying that Paramore had wished they sounded like that 15 years earlier. The widely seen post brought more attention to the new and relatively unknown Pool Kids.
Williams is a soprano with a four-octave range. Emilee Lindner of MTV News has noted her ability to sing in the whistle register, and Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone her "acrobatic" singing style. Alternative Press wrote in 2007 that Williams "has more charisma than singers twice her age, and her band aren't far behind in their chops, either." Singer-songwriter John Mayer praised Williams's voice in an October 2007 blog post, calling her "The great orange hope" (her hair being orange at the time).
In 2015, Williams responded to feminist criticism of Paramore's breakout song "Misery Business", citing her youth and inexperience as a contributing factor to the song's allegedly misogynistic lyrics. In a blog post, she described herself as "a proud feminist [...] just maybe not a perfect one".
In 2021, Williams announced that she would be abandoning her personal social media accounts due to her need for boundaries between her public and private life and her desire to "spend more time looking up and out, rather than down". She directed her fans to instead follow Paramore's official accounts, which remain highly active. She later returned to using Instagram, but disabled the ability to leave comments on her posts.
Williams is politically vocal. In 2020, following the George Floyd protests, Williams temporarily handed control of her Instagram account to Nashville-based activist group Teens4Equality to highlight their work in relation to the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2022, Williams endorsed Democratic nominee Beto O'Rourke in the Texas gubernatorial election. During a 2023 concert, Williams criticized supporters of Florida governor Ron DeSantis near the start of his presidential bid saying, "If you vote for Ron DeSantis, you're fucking dead to me." At the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival, during the lead-up to that year's US presidential election, Williams made a statement slamming candidate Donald Trump and Project 2025, urging listeners to vote against the "Trump agenda," which the singer described as a dictatorship.
Education
Details about Hayley Williams’ formal education are limited. She was homeschooled after moving to Franklin, Tennessee, where she immersed herself in music from an early age. Her passion for performance led her to pursue a career in music, ultimately leading to the formation of Paramore while she was still a teenager.
