First Zach Bryan, Now Jelly Roll and Warren Zeiders: The “Hawk Tuah” Girl Continues to Pop up on the Country Music Scene

Hailey Welch never expected to go viral. But thanks to an off-color joke she made to a YouTuber at CMA Fest, all of America now knows her as the “Hawk Tuah” girl. Now, the 21-year-old Belfast, Tennessee native has shared a stage with Zach Bryan and gotten some pointers on fame from Shaq. Most recently, Welch made an appearance at the Rock the South festival in Cullman, Alabama.

“Hawk Tuah” Girl Takes the Stage at Rock the South

You can hardly blame Welch for cashing in on her viral “hawk tuah” moment. There likely aren’t many among us who would pass up the opportunity for such fast cash. However, our collective attention spans are fleeting and the 24-hour news cycle is relentless.

Welch took the stage earlier this week at Rock the South to introduce Warren Zeiders and Jelly Roll. She was dressed for the occasion in a denim set and white cowboy hat. Still, the crowd barely reacted to her presence.

@vikkidamon

#fyp #hawktuah @Rock the South

♬ original sound – vikki

“And the crowd goes mildddd,” one TikTok user commented on a video of the painfully awkward incident.

Social media users marveled at the lukewarm reception Welch received. “The crowd is So having a mean girl movie moment,” one TikTok user wrote. “‘do you even go here?!'”

However, others in the comment section felt compelled to defend Welch. “the crowd can be silent…she still got paid,” one comment read.

Hailey Welch Turned Down ‘American Idol’: “She Knows Her Lane”

Even American Idol wants a piece of the “hawk tuah” girl. After seeing Welch join country star Zach Bryan onstage, the show reached out to her representative, Jonnie Forster, about arranging an appearance on the Idol stage. However, Forster quickly shot that down.

“I emailed back, ‘She can’t sing at all. Did you even watch the performance? Because she couldn’t carry a tune in a bag,'” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

[RELATED: ‘American Idol’ Attempts to Land Hawk Tuah Girl for New Revamped Season]

Welch doesn’t want to take opportunities from people who are serious about pursuing a career in music, Forster said.

“She knows her lane,” he said. “People love to hear a girl with that accent be funny and talk about real stuff, and that’s where we’re going to focus.”

Featured image by John D Shearer/Shutterstock