Hayley Williams was born on December 27, 1988, in Meridian, Mississippi. An extremely shy girl, Hayley’s desire to perform was initially trumped by a severe case of stage fright. It wasn’t until girl moved to Tennessee that Hayley began to take steps to conquer her fear, as the aspiring singer signed up for vocal lessons and started to pursue roles in a variety of school productions.

It was around that time that Williams met Josh and Zac Farro, a pair of musically inclined brothers who had already formed a funk cover band. Hayley found herself spending more and more time with the siblings, and -- along with Jeremy Davis and Jason Bynum -- the quintet finally decided to form a group of their own. When the time came to attach a moniker to their musical endeavor, the bandmates decided to utilize the name of a friend’s mother’s maiden name and consequently emerged as Paramore.

After spending a few months perfecting their sound, Paramore began performing at various Tennessee-based venues, and it wasn’t long before the band began to amass a small, but loyal following of fans. The band’s growing reputation made it an ideal fit for music festivals like the Warped Tour and Purple Door, and in April of 2005, Hayley Williams and her four compatriots were signed to a record contract with the Fueled by Ramen label (which is home to such well-known acts as Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World and Panic! At The Disco).