Cas Haley
Cas Haley | |
|---|---|
 Cas Haley, singer-songwriter & winner of Lincoln "Chart Your Course" competition | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benjamin Cas Haley[1] |
| Born | December 27, 1980 Paris, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | folk,rock,blues,reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Singer/songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | vocals, guitar, piano, bass, drums |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Cartel Records (2008–2010) Easy Star (2010–2013) Mailboat Records (2015–present) |
Benjamin Cas Haley(born 1980; Paris, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter, who specialises in reggae-inflected music when singing. He rose to national prominence by appearing onAmerica's Got Talentin 2007, finishing as runner-up on that season's competition,[2]whereupon he has conducted several tours and produced several albums during his career with a number of different recording labels.
Career
[edit]Benjamin began his career developing pieces inspired by reggae music. In 2007, he auditioned for thesecond seasonofAmerica's Got Talent,conducting several songs with his reggae-inflected music; his first for his audition earned praise fromPiers Morgan,a judge for the program at the time, who praised his version of "Walking on the Moon"as being far better than when it had been sung by the musicianSting.[2]His performances earned him national recognition, leading to him finishing the competition as runner-up. After his involvement on the program, he released a self-titled debut album later in the year, reaching No. 8 onBillboard's Reggae Albums chart.[3]
In June 2010, Benjamin toured Hawaii withJosh Heinrichsplaying shows inHawaii,in which he made appearances on several local radio programs and the television morning news portion ofHawaii News Now.[4]Three months later, he signed a deal with Easy Star Records, who released his follow-up album,Connection,on September 14.[5]It reached No. 2 onBillboard's Reggae Albums chart in 2010.[3]In October, he toured the U.S. west coast and Europe in support ofConnectionwith theEasy Star All-Stars.[6]
Benjamin released his third album,La Si Dah,on May 28, 2013,[7]which consisted of thirteen songs, funded by his fans, and produced by both Benjamin and Grammy-winning producer-engineerRob Fraboni.The release was followed by a European tour.[7]Later that same year, Cas was nominated as best reggae rock entertainer for the 32nd annual International Reggae and World Music Awards.[7]
In 2014, Haley suffered a skiing accident that left serious muscle and nerve damage in his neck. He endured eight months of acupuncture and vocal and physical therapy to get his voice back.[8]The following year, on November 6, he released the albumMore Music More FamilyonJimmy Buffett'sMailboat Records.[8]Nine of its 12 songs were recorded in Hawaii, and three were recorded in Haley's home in Texas and filmed as part of a video series for theDallas News.[8]
On June 21, 2019, Haley releasedLessons and Blessings,which was written during the time of his wife's illness. It was recorded at the Haley family farm, and his wife contributed to the songwriting.[9]
In 2020, Cas Haley was the grand prize winner of theLincoln Motor Company's "Chart Your Course" contest. His winning song, "Every Road I'm On," beat out over 1,600 entrants. Haley won a talent contract and a recording session atCapitol Studios,aLincoln Corsair,and appeared in a national Lincoln marketing campaign.[10]As part of the promotion, Haley met and worked with actorMatthew McConaughey,and musiciansJon Cleary,Tank ofTank and the Bangas,Ruthie Foster,and more.[11]Lincoln filmed his cross-country journey, which ended at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where he recorded the song. The campaign includes a national broadcast and online spot and a 24-minute documentary.[12]
"Every Road I'm On" will be included on Cas Haley's album,All the Right People,set for release in early 2021 on Jimmy Buffet's label, Mailboat Records.[13]
Personal life
[edit]Benjamin was born in Paris, Texas on December 27, 1980, and is currently married to his wife, Cas Haley. The couple have two children - a son, Eben, and a daughter, Nolah.[7]In 2018, Cas's wife, Cassy, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Subsequently, Haley cancelled his tour dates and set up aGoFundMecampaign to help cover the family's medical expenses.[14]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Year | Album | Peak | Certifications (sales threshold) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Reggae |
Year end Reggae | ||||||
| 2008 | Cas Haley
|
— | 2[15] | 8[16] | ||||
| 2010 | Connection
|
— | 2[15] | — | ||||
| 2013 | La Si Dah
|
— | — | — | ||||
| 2015 | More Music More Family
|
— | — | — | ||||
| 2019 | Lessons and Blessings
|
— | — | — | ||||
| 2021 | All the Right People
|
— | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes the album did not chart. | ||||||||
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | ||||||||
| 2010 | "Better" | — | Connection | |||||
| 2020 | "Every Road I'm On" | — | All the Right People | |||||
| 2020 | "All the Right People" | — | All the Right People | |||||
| 2020 | "Blue Jeans" | — | All the Right People | |||||
| "—" denotes the single did not chart. | ||||||||
References
[edit]- ^"Texas Births, 1926–1995".Familytreelegends.com.RetrievedJanuary 3,2012.
- ^abRickert, Julia (May 27, 2011)."Cas Haley".Relix.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^abEldridge, Ellen (October 30, 2015)."CAS HALEY RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM NOV. 6, PLAYS CENTER STAGE DEC. 5".Atlanta Music Guide.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^"Reggae artist Cas Haley to hold concert Wednesday night – Hawaii News Now – KGMB and KHNL".Hawaii News Now. June 1, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon March 6, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 3,2012.
- ^"New Releases For September 14, 2010".New Releases Now.RetrievedOctober 17,2020.
- ^"Cas Haley Events".Easy Star. Archived fromthe originalon December 25, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 3,2012.
- ^abcdGeddie, Tom (February 27, 2020)."Cas Haley is Where He Wants to Be".County Line Magazine.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^abcRicciardi, Tiney (October 13, 2015)."Cas Haley thought he'd never sing again, but he's back with new album and new attitude".Dallas News.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^"Cas Haley: A New Kind of Grassroots".Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival.June 25, 2019.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^Boswell, Sally (September 22, 2020)."Cas Haley, Lincoln are good together".Lincoln.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^Mueller, Erica (July 15, 2020)."CAS HALEY IS WINNING LIFE, MUSIC AND A THANKS TO LINCOLN'S CHART YOUR COURSE COMPETITION, A NEW CORSAIR".A Girl's Guide to Cars.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^Gazdik, Tanya (September 3, 2020)."Lincoln Offers Music-Centric Corsair Campaign".MediaPost.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^Dye, Robert (October 9, 2020)."Cas Haley's" All The Right People "Is An Instantly Memorable Singalong".American Songwriter.RetrievedOctober 17,2020.
- ^"CAS HALEY LAUNCHES GOFUNDME CAMPAIGN FOR WIFE'S CANCER TREATMENT".Grateful Web.May 10, 2018.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
- ^ab"Connection – Cas Haley".Billboard.com. October 2, 2010.RetrievedJanuary 3,2012.
- ^[1]ArchivedFebruary 5, 2009, at theWayback Machine
- ^"#2 Most Successful Independent In Sales – Heavyweight Dj Forums – Los Angeles".Heavyweightdj.com. Archived fromthe originalon May 23, 2010.RetrievedJanuary 3,2012.
- ^"Malibu magazine".Malibumag.com. Archived fromthe originalon January 7, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 3,2012.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Woodbelly's Official Site
- Official America's Got Talent bio, including links to several of his performances
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
- 1980 births
- 21st-century American singers
- Living people
- America's Got Talent contestants
- American rock guitarists
- American male guitarists
- People from Arlington, Texas
- Singers from Texas
- American reggae musicians
- People from Paris, Texas
- Easy Star Records artists
- 21st-century American guitarists
- Guitarists from Texas
- 21st-century American male singers
- Songwriters from Texas
- American male songwriters