Biography

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 remembers, “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.”

How We Helped:
Music Maker Relief Foundation has assisted Macavine Hayes in procuring a passport and provides him with a monthly stipend for prescription medicine. In addition, Music Maker has donated guitars to Macavine, recorded his CD and helped him set up tours through the Europe and the United States, including a performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Macavine is featured in the book Music Makers: Portraits and Songs from the Roots of America (2004).

In the 60s Macavine 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.