From his outward appearance, one might not immediately assume that Jonathan Hay is a renowned music producer and celebrity PR expert. If he were to pass you on the street you’d notice a man exhibiting a variety of fashion trends that fuse into his own personal style. Hay is the founder of Jonathan Hay Publicity and has worked with countless celebrities including Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, and the Kardashians. Recognized as a “legendary music producer” and a thriving businessman, Jonathan Hay does what he likes and he does it well. And now he does what he likes even better with Bunchcut.
What was your childhood like?
I was raised by my adopted mother and stepfather. Growing up as an adopted child can be mentally challenging at times, but I really do believe it shaped me to become the person I am now, and it set me on a path to become successful. I did grow up with siblings and I’m sure anyone with siblings knows how that goes. No matter what we go through, we are family and we stick together.
How would you describe your personality?
I’m extremely sarcastic and eccentric. I love to play pranks and act immature. I used to think I was hilarious and have even attempted to do stand-up comedy — but it was so awkward and not funny at all. It’s actually hilarious when I think about how bad it was. Other than my sick sense of humor, I’m very competitive and driven — maybe too driven. At times my career-driven personality has been unhealthy due to a lack of balance. It’s something I’m working on now, cutting back on insane hours and trying to stay balanced.
What do you do?
I’m a music producer and a PR maven. As far as what exactly a maven is, well, I don’t know. I was called that last year and it made me sound important. So I’ve run with it ever since.
How did you get into the music business?
I grew up in a house with a mother who played piano in church, so music has always been the soundtrack to my life. The piano was heard throughout the house. I’m sure it’s the reason why piano is the dominant instrument in all my productions today. Anyway, I sold my baseball card collection and bought a drum machine and some music equipment and started sequencing at a young age. Producing took a backseat for about 15 years to publicity and marketing. I’ve had a lot of crazy success in the PR world. I’ve been to the mountain top, so to speak. However, lately, I’ve been doing both publicity and production equally. I think that’s what will make me a dangerous music producer because I produce music like a publicist would. Right now I’m in the studio wrapping up my upcoming album titled The Urban Hitchcock LP that features major recording artists. One of the songs “Don’t Close Your Eyes (Ashamed Remix)” premiered earlier this month on Billboard. The video is being released in the next few weeks.
How did you get into the celebrity PR business?
I just kind of stumbled into it, I guess. My first big client was Travis Meeks. He had a record deal with Geffen / Interscope and sold over three million records. So I was dealing with major record labels like Interscope and publications like Rolling Stone very early in my career and at a young age. I owe my career to Travis Meeks, and his late father Gary Meeks who was like a second father to me.
Who is your favorite celebrity client? Why?
I don’t have any favorites. I love all my clients.
How would you describe your aesthetic style? In many pictures you’re seen wearing a hat, wide-rimmed glasses, and a beard. Is this part of your personal style?
I was in a car accident several years ago and a semi-truck hit me from behind. I went air-born and the car rolled three times and I ended up upside down and trapped. Luckily, I wasn’t badly hurt. Shortly after, I started having panic attacks. The panic attacks caused a lot of social anxiety. I was pretty much agoraphobic for a few years and didn’t leave my house. I still did well because I could do all my work from home and my colleagues would go out in the world. I was getting tired of living that way so I grew a beard, wore different hats, and started wearing earrings and a nose ring. I also have an umbrella with me everywhere I go, which is a little over the top but it works. The character I created allows me to supress my anxiety. But yes, that has become my brand, I guess.
Tell us one of your best stories from your career so far?
It was just a few months ago with the release of my producing debut album When Music Worlds Collide. I had this idea to keep the project completely independent with no label at all. Of course that doesn’t seem very unusual but I had major rap stars on the album and my production partner Mike Smith and I were offered some good deals for the project, but we chose a different way. I wanted to do it myself: 100% independent. So I uploaded the album to TuneCore and checked only two boxes “Spotify” and “TIDAL” and started a streaming challenge called Spotify vs TIDAL. I got contacted from TIDAL and they helped the album out immensely. It’s been seen on Billboard, International Business Times, Fox News, Business Insider and pretty much every major hip-hop site and blog on the planet. The album has been a huge success and I only spent $30 on marketing!
What is something that you’re truly proud of?
I’m really proud to see how far Rihanna has gone. I’ll never forget the day back in late 2004 when I got the call to work her first single. She was completely unknown then and we helped launch her career. We get a lot of credit, but we deserve very little. Rihanna deserves it all. She is a true trendsetter. But to see it go from where it was to where it is now is crazy to me.
Where do you see your company going in five years?
Hopefully, I’ll continue helping people succeed in their careers. I’m thinking about the future and a company I’ll be able to pass down to my family. Even though my company is called Jonathan Hay Celebrity, it’s so much bigger than me.
What are some of your personal goals?
To finally be able to go back and do that stand up comedy show.
What do you think about Bunchcut?
Bunchcut is that next big thing. It has that “X-Factor” about it.
Do you think a musician might be able to utilize Bunchcut?
Absolutely. I’m a musician and I’m using it right now as we speak.
Do you think the platform might be useful when collaborating with clients and stakeholders in your work as a celebrity PR agent?
No doubt about it. It’s truly brilliant. I’m totally into it.
Find out more about Hay and his work at: jonathanhaycelebrity.com
Try Bunchcut today at: Bunchcut.com
