Blues Musician Macavine Hayes Dies at 65

Blues musician Macavine Hayes died in his sleep Monday, January 12, 2009. He was 65 years old, and was signed to the Music Maker label. One of his most  recent performances was in North Carolina, at Durham’s Broad Street Cafe on New Year’s Eve.

"Macavine had a wonderful, soulful, almost childlike warmth and happiness," says Music Maker head Tim Duffy. "He was internationally known, toured Australia and over 10 countries in Europe. Wherever he went, people just loved the guy. But he died with his boots on — asleep at a drink house."

Macavine Hayes was born in Tampa, Florida on June 3rd 1943. His family farmed and he was the oldest of 5 sisters and 5 brothers. He remembered, "There was always something to do down on the farm, we listened to the radio and got up on the back porch and played the music of Chuck Berry and Jimmy Reed."

In the 60s he met Guitar Gabriel playing on the streets of Tampa. He followed his new friend back to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "Gabe taught me how to experience the road, sleep outside, go to some gals house and spend the night sometimes. Go to church on Sunday, we always carried nice suits and shoes. We would look good. We did a lot of travelin’. We went to Atlanta down to Augusta and all through Florida. We played at juke joints and lay a hat down. Gabe was a free spirit and taught me that you can go anywhere you want to go. We ran a drink house together for years down on Claremont Street. Living with Gabe was not a hard life; you just had to drink all the time."

His most recent release was Drinkhouse.