The Bobby Bones Show

Episode: Walker Hayes: From Atheist to Believer — The Tragedy That Turned His Heart to God

Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Premiere Networks
Guest: Walker Hayes

Episode Overview

This moving episode of "The Bobby Bones Show" features country music star Walker Hayes, exploring his spiritual journey from a self-proclaimed atheist to a passionate follower of Jesus. Hayes opens up about a life marked by early disillusionment with religion, struggles with addiction, career setbacks, and, most pivotally, the profound grief of losing his seventh child. Through candid storytelling, Walker reveals how tragedy, unwavering friendship, and grace ultimately led to personal transformation and faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Walker’s Early Years and Church Aversion

• Background: Youngest of nine children, Walker grew up in a devout but dysfunctional church environment.

• Church Memories: His earliest impressions of church were strictly negative, associating it with punishment rather than spiritual connection.

  • Quote: "I grew up in church, didn’t like it...I was a pretty crazy kid, last of nine." (06:52)
  • "I couldn’t stand church...My earliest memories...my mom would...beat me in circles. Dude, I was just running, you know?" (07:17)

• Alcohol as Early Crutch:

  • First drank at 13 (Zima; similar to a hard seltzer).
  • Realized alcohol made him confident and became reliant on it for social interaction and performance.
  • "Honestly, it’s a very serious night when I drank that Zima...I got charisma. I was like, this is crazy." (08:31)

2. Nashville Years: Career Setbacks and Isolation

• Music Industry Struggles: Moved to Nashville in 2004; cycles of hope and disappointment with record deals.
• Growing Family, Growing Distance: Regularly pregnant, financial struggles, felt increasingly disconnected from family back home.
• Wife’s Steadfast Faith: Laney, his wife, was always a believer—she prayed for him but let him have his own space.
  • "Laney’s a believer. She knew I would have said I was an atheist. She was cool with that. She prayed a lot for me." (10:26)

3. The Friendship That Changed Everything: Meeting Craig

• Craig’s Unconditional Love:

  • Met Craig and his wife Laura through a church invite from Laney.
  • Initially resisted, finding church off-putting and suspect ("this place looks creepy...probably a cult").
  • "Isn’t God funny that the greeter dude got me, you know?" (03:43, 43:36)

• Craig’s Relentless Kindness:

  • Kept reaching out, inviting, and showing generosity (hosting meals, offering friendship without strings).
  • "Why in the world do they love us so much? That’s a diamond." (15:28)
  • Host notes: "How cool, too, of God to just be like, I’m gonna give you a Craig so I can explain my love in a tangible way." (43:27)

4. Sobriety & Tragedy: The Turning Point

• Sobriety:
  • Miraculous decision to quit drinking at 35: "I truly just thought, hey, if I do this again today, it’s over." (19:07, 22:33)
• Personal Success—Then Devastating Loss:
  • Music career began to improve, but then tragedy struck: Their seventh child, Oakley, did not survive childbirth.
  • "The loss of our daughter—worst day of my entire life...life just stopped." (22:33)
  • "I hated God that I wouldn’t have said existed." (24:58)

Raw Grief and New Self-Awareness

• Walker describes overwhelming anger, confusion, and self-loathing after Oakley’s death.
  • "For the first time, I needed a savior...I was looking in the mirror going, that’s gross. That is who I am, left to my own devices." (27:38)

5. The Path to Faith

• Laney’s Influence & Craig’s Example:
  • Laney references Paul’s transformation; Walker dismisses biblical examples as distant but is searching for a real, modern testimony.
• Book That Spoke to Him:
  • "Secrets of an Unlikely Convert" by Rosario Butterfield was instrumental—he saw his own story mirrored.
• First Steps of Belief:
  • Walker buys a Bible, devours it, and experiences scripture in a completely new, vivid way.
  • "I just devoured it...it’s alive...God taking stone hearts and making them flesh." (31:12)

The Core Message

• Walker’s realization: "I need rescued from me...If you can’t be saved from yourself, we’re screwed." (32:51)
• Publicly accepts Christ with Craig, moved by new vulnerability and transformation.
  • "I told Laney first. I had dinner with Craig and was like, bro, I believe. I want to give my life to Christ." (34:00)

6. After Faith: New Perspective, Joy, and Purpose

• Freed From Performance:

  • No longer defined by career or achievements: "It kind of released me from the slavery of music, the slavery of performance." (36:53)
  • Finds joy and meaning in relationships, family, creative work, and even the mundane.
  • "There’s a lot of beautiful things that just happen on a daily basis...just the normal stuff is pretty amazing." (66:46)

• Becoming 'Craig' To Others:

  • Now seeks to emulate unconditional love, especially to kids he coaches.
  • "When you see a kid and they’re meeting Jesus...I’m just, I’m here to witness it." (51:34)
  • Meet-and-greets and fans share their own stories of sobriety because of him.

• Message to Listeners:

  • For anyone restless or struggling: "He knows. You’re not alone." (60:42)
  • Urges dependency on Jesus rather than career or human affirmation: "Just seek first the kingdom of God." (57:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early Resentment and Transformation:

  • "Don’t give me another billboard with a Jesus thing...Isn’t God funny that the greeter dude got me?" — Walker Hayes (03:16, 43:36)
  • "The worst pain I ever felt...is the most valuable thing I think I’ll probably have on this earth." (03:16, 36:53)
  • "For the first time, I needed a Savior...I need rescued from me." (27:38, 32:51)

• On Friendship & Unconditional Love:

  • "Craig adopted me basically, and that’s what God does through Christ...that’s how we get in the fam." (43:36)

• On Relatable Weakness:

  • "Everyone can relate to weakness, but everyone wants to hide it." (40:35)
  • "I’ll boast in my weakness, because in my weakness, he’s strong." (40:35)

• On Joy and Purpose:

  • "There’s a lot of beautiful things that just happen on a daily basis...Life’s kind of crazy." (66:46)

• On Family & Legacy:

  • "I just want them to rely on Jesus and Him alone. That’s it." (57:04)
  • "I hope when I die...they’d say, 'He really wanted to love Jesus with everything he had.'" (57:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [06:52] – Walker’s childhood, early aversion to church, first experiences with alcohol
• [13:00] – Move to Nashville, family struggles, disconnect, and “the Nashville grind”
• [14:45] – Meeting Craig, first impressions, and developing friendship
• [19:07 / 22:33] – Sobriety and then the tragedy of losing Oakley
• [24:58] – Processing grief, anger at God, and self-confrontation
• [29:40] – Laney’s support, books that inspired faith, seeing testimonies as transformative
• [31:12] – First Bible encounter as an adult, new view on scripture and faith
• [34:00] – Public acceptance of Christianity, emotional dinner with Craig
• [36:53] – How faith shifted Walker’s identity and anxiety about achievement
• [51:34] – Walker as a mentor and friend to others (becoming “a Craig”)
• [57:04] – Lessons Walker hopes his children learn from his faith journey
• [60:42] – Message for restless listeners: “He knows. You’re not alone.”
• [62:24] – New perspective on music as worship and as freedom
• [66:46] – Appreciation for the beauty in daily life, ordinary things, and joy

Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, humorous, and deeply vulnerable—punctuated by laughter, authenticity, and reverence. Walker oscillates between humility and raw honesty, bringing depth and hope to loss, addiction, and faith.

Conclusion

Walker Hayes’s testimony on The Bobby Bones Show stands as a raw, hope-filled account of how grace, authentic relationships, and devastating loss can spark transformation. His journey underscores the power of persistent love, honest community, and reliance on something greater than oneself—a story that resonates far beyond the borders of faith.

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