Enjoy this inspiring video by the Haygoods, an underrated musical family with their own theater in Branson, Missouri, United States.
The Haygoods are one of the most famous performing families in Branson, known for a high-energy stage show that blends music, dance, and elaborate special effects. Their story is a mixture of small-town grit, family harmony, and a lot of fiddles.
Here are some interesting facts about them:
1. It’s literally a family band
The group performing today consists of five brothers and one sister: Timothy, Patrick, Dominic, Michael, Matthew, and Catherine Haygood. They sing and play more than 20 different instruments during a typical show.
2. They grew up performing as kids
The Haygood siblings began performing together in 1993 at Silver Dollar City when they were still children. At the theme park they sometimes performed six shows a day, six days a week, which became their training ground as entertainers.
3. Their childhood was very modest
The family grew up in the Ozarks in a single-wide mobile home, and their father worked as a carpenter to support eight children. Their mother found music teachers and mentors to train them on many instruments and performance skills.
4. A Sesame Street moment started it all
The oldest brother, Timothy, saw violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman playing on Sesame Street when he was five years old. Inspired, he begged for violin lessons, which sparked the musical journey for the entire family.
5. They’ve sold millions of tickets
Over the decades, the Haygoods have sold more than 7 million tickets and performed thousands of concerts for audiences from all over the world.
6. They helped define the Branson family-show style
Their performances mix country, rock, pop, and classic hits with choreography, acapella harmonies, lasers, pyrotechnics, and comedy. They redesign the show nearly every year to keep it fresh.
7. Their show is famously high-tech
A typical Haygoods performance may include:
laser light shows
drones and holograms
instruments that light up
flying musicians and acrobatic stunts
It’s part concert, part Broadway-style spectacle.
8. They became Branson entrepreneurs
In the 2000s the family even owned and operated their own theater on the Branson Strip before later focusing primarily on performing.
9. They are one of Branson’s longest-running family shows
Their act has been performing in Branson for more than three decades, making it one of the longest-running first-generation shows in the city’s entertainment history.
10. Christmas shows are a huge tradition
Every winter they produce a major Christmas show, which has become a popular seasonal attraction for visitors to Branson.
See also: Country Boy.
