Cas Haley

Benjamin Cas Haley (born 1980; Paris, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter. He and his reggae-inflected music first appeared to a national audience on Season 2 of America's Got Talent in 2007, where he came in 2nd place. After his audition, judge Piers Morgan said that Haley sang "Walking on the Moon" better than Sting.[2]

Cas Haley
Cas Haley, singer-songwriter & winner of Lincoln "Chart Your Course" competition
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Cas Haley[1]
Born	(1980-12-27) December 27, 1980 Paris, Texas, U.S.
Genres	folk, rock, blues, reggae
Occupation(s)	Singer/songwriter
Instruments	vocals, guitar, piano, bass, drums
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Cartel Records (2008–2010) Easy Star (2010–2013) Mailboat Records (2015–present)
Associated acts	Mike Love Trevor Hall Seth Walker Jon Batiste

Haley's self-titled debut album was released in 2007 and reached No. 8 on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart.[3]

Easy Star Records released Haley's follow-up album, Connection, on September 14, 2010.[4] It reached No. 2 on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart in 2010.[5] In October, he toured the U.S. west coast and Europe in support of Connection with the Easy Star All-Stars.[6]

In June 2010, Haley toured Hawaii with Josh Heinrichs playing shows on Oahu and The Big Island. While on tour, they appeared on several local radio programs and the television morning news portion of Hawaii News Now.[7]

Haley released his third album, La Si Dah, on May 28, 2013, on Easy Star Records.[8] The 13-song album was funded by his fans, and produced by both Haley and Grammy-winning producer-engineer Rob Fraboni (Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones). The release was followed by a European tour.[9]

That same year, Cas was nominated as best reggae rock entertainer for the 32nd annual International Reggae and World Music Awards.[10]

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.[11] The following year, on November 6, he released the album More Music More Family on Jimmy Buffett's Mailboat Records.[12] 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 the Dallas News.[13]

In 2018, Cas's wife, Cassy, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Subsequently, Haley cancelled his tour dates and set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the family's medical expenses.[14]

On June 21, 2019, Haley released Lessons 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.[15]

In 2020, Cas Haley was the grand prize winner of the Lincoln 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 at Capitol Studios, a Lincoln Corsair, and appeared in a national Lincoln marketing campaign.[16] As part of the promotion, Haley met and worked with actor Matthew McConaughey, and musicians Jon Cleary, Tank of Tank and the Bangas, Ruthie Foster, and more.[17] 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.[18]

"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.[19]

Cas and Cassy have a son, Eben, and a daughter, Nolah.[20]