25 celebrities you didn’t know had music careers

Hayden Panettiere

This one may not be that shocking, considering the fact that Hayden Panettiere played a singer on Nashville for years. But she was trying her hand at a music career years before taking on the role of Juliette Barnes.

Besides her Grammy nomination as a child –– Best Spoken Word Album For Children for A Bugs Life Read-Along — Hayden recorded several songs for Disney films, such as Tiger Cruise, The Dust Factory, and Ice Princess. It wasn’t until 2008 that she released her first single that wasn’t attached to a film or acting role.

The single, titled “Wake Up Call”, wasn’t exactly a hit. The song was a catchy, bubblegum pop song with reggae influences about Hayden trying to get her man’s attention to give him a wake-up call. It was definitely fun as far as summer songs go, but it didn’t lead to much for Hayden. In 2008 the music industry was just too saturated with pop wannabes, and Hayden just didn’t stand out from the rest of the crowd.

While starring on Nashville for six seasons, however, Hayden recorded several songs that were released as singles and included on the Nashville soundtrack. She also recorded her own version of “The Fabric of My Life” for a Cotton campaign. She’s not exactly Lady Gaga or Beyoncé, but she managed to merge her love of music with her acting, so it wasn’t such a big loss in the end!

Pop superstardom just wasn’t in the cards for Hayden, like so many actors who came before her.