Thomas Avery Hays (August 12, 1929 – May 13, 2023) was an American guitarist, band leader and vocalist; and was one of the last living members of the great musicians who created The Bakersfield Sound.
Tommy played on stage with many of the old timers who were part of creating the Bakersfield Sound.
Tommy was in the band that gave Buck Owens his first gig, with Dusty Rhodes, at a bar called the Roundup.
Hays was inducted into the Western Swing Society Hall of Fame in 2010.
[5] Hays lived in Bakersfield, California, and played locally until his death on May 13, 2023, at the age of 93.