Mitch's songs are reminiscent of artists whose music influenced his own style and defined a generation, from the mid 60's to the early 70's. In a Mitch Hayes song one will hear hints of artists such as Dylan, John Prine, Jackson Browne, or Jim Croce. His thought provoking lyrics will take you on an emotional journey through timeless themes such as love and loss, joy and sadness and social consciou
sness. They will sometimes make you laugh, sometimes make you cry, but will always entertain you. Hayes has three albums to his credit, his debut CD, "My Reflection," his sophomore project, "Heroes" and his latest release, "A Long Way Home," a collaborative project recorded with his daughter, Erin. His musical odyssey began as a young teen, singing and playing the drums in a band with his brother and some friends at school dances and private parties. While in High School, he picked up the guitar and performed at church, in coffeehouses, at talent shows, anywhere he could find to play. While in College In his 20's, he began to write and perform songs of his own and has been doing so, ever since. In 2017 he retired from a 43-year career as a Pediatric Respiratory Therapist to focus full-time on pursing his musical interests. On a personal note, Hayes' musical career was briefly sidelined from 2012 - 2013, when he was diagnosed with and underwent treatment for throat cancer. Therapy was successful and he is now cancer-free. However, this experience left him with some changes to his voice. "I went from having a smooth sounding voice to having more of a rough edge, like Bob Seger or Tom Waits. But I'm just happy to be able to sing and perform my songs, again,” he recalls.
