River City Gang- Virginian-Pilot Newspaper

Sam Hayes' life might have turned out much differently if his mother hadn't been such a stickler for diversity.
"When I was young, I wanted to be an orthodontist," revealed the Yorktown native. "But my mom wanted me to be a well-rounded individual, so she made me do sports and music."

When Hayes discovered a knack for the latter, a career in dentistry didn't seem quite so interesting. By the time he graduated from York County's Tabb High School in 2005, music had become a full-blown passion.

"I don't think my mother ever thought I would take it this far, to be honest with you," said Hayes.

Music has carried him south to Nashville, as the frontman for the country music trio River City Gang, which plays at Norfolk Harborfest on Saturday. The band was named after Richmond, known as River City, and Hayes says his Virginia roots run deep.

"My family has lived in Yorktown for three generations, and I'm proud to call it my hometown. The reason the band is based in Nashville is really to get more connections to pursue the dream."

For Hayes, that journey began by playing open mic nights while he was still in high school. At 19, he got his first big break opening for country musician David Allan Coe at The NorVa.

"It really lit a fire in me," said Hayes of performing in front of the sold-out crowd. A year later the musician was among the performers at a country music festival in Charlottesville, where he met superstar Tim McGraw.

"I got to hang out with him backstage and talk with him for a while," Hayes said.

Later that night, he was in the front row for McGraw's set when the headliner told the audience that he wanted to invite his new friend Sam onstage to sing with him.

"I swore he wasn't talking about me, so I just froze," Hayes said with a laugh. "Next thing you know, 15,000 people were staring at me. After the show it took me about an hour to come back down to earth."

Although his budding career looked promising, the musician was paying bills by stacking wood at a lumberyard in Yorktown.

"I was literally standing on a pile of wood when I got a call from Nashville," Hayes said.
On the other end of the line was Rusty Harmon, former manager of Hootie & the Blowfish and a Nashville insider. It seems as though the demo that Hayes had given McGraw's management had made its way into the hands of executives at the Universal Music Publishing Group.
Harmon was enlisted to persuade Hayes to come onboard as a songwriter.

"I was blown away," said the musician. "People don't get an invitation to come to Nashville and then say no."

Hayes packed his bags, and his career has been growing steadily ever since. His songwriting stint was followed by a touring gig as an opening act for Tracy Lawrence.

"I spent a year and a half with him, living on a tour bus and learning the ins and outs of the music business," said Hayes.

In 2010, the musician met Richmond native Brian Friedman, the guitarist and founder of the River City Gang. They became fast friends, and when the Gang's singer departed a year later, Hayes took over the spot. The trio, which also includes bassist David Karns, released their first single, "This Old Town," last year.

Perhaps no song represents the band's spirit better than "Born in Virginia."

 

"It has a lot of meaning for me," Hayes said. "The chorus goes, 'I was born in Virginia where the river splits the sea, and if my prayers are answered, that's where they'll bury me.' That pretty much says it all."