As a youth Haymes worked in a traveling circus as a trapeze artist and drummer for the band. He taught himself piano and wrote arrangements for local dance bands before signing on as an arranger with the Ted Weems orchestra.

Haymes formed his first orchestra in 1930 and hired The Merry Macs, a vocal group who became quite popular. His dance band received critical raves if not commercial success. The band introduced “I Cover the Waterfront” and recorded other ballads and lighthearted fare such as “I’se a Muggin’” and “Hey, Hey, Have You Had Your Corn Today.”

During the ‘40s Haymes freelanced for other bands, did studio work, and eventually disappeared from the music scene.

- Sandra Burlingame