Hayley Nichole Williams, a woman characterized by an outspoken, powerhouse voice and bright red, ever changing hair. She is an American songwriter and singer, as well as the lead vocalist to the American rock band Paramore. The band formed in 2004, since then creating a total of four studio albums, four extended plays, one box set, eighteen singles, and a total of sixty-four songs as of the year of 2014. William’s music falls under the genres of alternative rock and pop punk. Other current members of the band include Taylor York on lead and rhythm guitar, and Jeremy Davis on bass guitar which as of now make up the entire band. William’s diagnosis of depression and previous life experiences heavily influence her music and life and define her personality and why the band became mainstream. So mainstream that Paramore’s 2013 self-titled fourth album debuted number one on the Billboard charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ireland, and New Zealand, receiving over seven million record sales.
Williams’s music career begins in Franklin, Tennessee, when at the age of 14 she signed a two year-production deal, first planning to become a pop singer, although she disagreed and wanted to start a pop-punk band. In looking for requiting members for the band, Zak and Josh Farro were recruited for Drums and Lead Guitar, as well as Jeremy Davis on bass. The name, “Paramore” derives from the maiden name of one of their first bass players. Once the group learned the meaning of the homophone, “Paramour”, which means secret lover, they decided that was the perfect name for the band. Throughout the entirety of the band’s lifespan, members came and went, most notably, the departing of both the Farro brothers in 2010, who were considered the co-founders of the band.