Intro
You’d think after being part of the famous Haywood family for over 20 years, I’d have random people coming up to me all the time saying things like-
“Lacey, you’re so lucky to have the parents you do!”
“Lacey, you have such a privileged life.”
“Can I meet your Mom?”
“Will you give this to your Dad?”
“What’s your Brother like, Lacey?”
“Lacey, can you tell me what your Sister’s secret project is?”
Honestly, I wouldn’t know as that’s not the world I grew up in. Truth is, I was a complete surprise or should I say the oops child of an older Hollywood It couple, so my parents were a bit hands off with me. They decided it would be best if I was to be raised by my paternal grandparents Del and Henry Haywood in the same small town my Dad was from in Tennessee. My Dad is the Brooks Haywood, the legendary music producer who got his start in the music industry at 16 as the lead singer of the Dark Divide, and then my Mom is everyone’s favorite award winning daytime television actress, Victoria Leigh Haywood, never call her just a soap star, she hates it. But their careers have always kept them busy and at the time of my birth, they didn’t feel like they had the time to raise a baby all over again, nor did they want strangers to raise me because having a child raised by an army of nannies wouldn’t look good in their circle of friends.
As for my siblings, the twins, I don’t really know them all too well because I’m almost 15 years younger than them, like I said I was the oops child. My brother, Mason, has had a legion of fans screaming his name for as long as I can remember. He’s the lead singer of Restless Wicked and has been topping the rock charts since their debut single was released over a decade ago with our Dad at his side producing all the band’s music. And then there’s my sister, Madison, she took after our mom and became an actress. She started acting in Daytime television as a toddler working alongside Mom. But unlike Mom, she managed to get cast in a few movie roles as a young pre-teen and now is one of the most in demand leading ladies in Hollywood. So what are my siblings like - I don’t know as I never really felt like they were my siblings, I always felt more like an only child like most who have siblings with a large age gap like us.
Growing up in the same small town Dad did, everyone knew who I was related to and never seemed to bother me or my Grandparents. Even the kids at school who were a fan of Mason and Madison never bothered me about them, it was like everyone knew not to ask anything. Occasionally I’d get the stares, so then I knew there was an article published talking about my family with no mention of me in it. I always ignored articles about my family, as my parents tried to say they were protecting my privacy to give me a normal childhood. They never wanted me to get sucked into the Hollywood machine like the twins were. So I grew up normal like they wanted, I learned to play my Dad’s old acoustic guitar, I attended public school, was always hanging out with my friends especially my best friend Willow, and singing in the church choir. Occasionally, I’d fly to meet my parents or to attend functions with them that was appropriate for a kid, they’d visit for some holidays and once in a while on my birthday.
When I was 15, I told my grandparents that I wanted to be a country singer and I handed them the few songs I had written up to that point. My grandpa was impressed by how well they were written and to be honest they weren’t surprised I was drawn to music like I was. They always joked it was in my blood since they knew how much I loved singing in the choir at church. They told me they saw the same light in my eyes as I performed that my Dad had as a kid in the church choir.
And since that day I spoke with them, I’ve been going up to Nashville to perform at open mics and any other opportunities I can book to follow my dream and make it on my own. I’m always surprised when no one recognizes me beyond being that young country singer and songwriter, Lacey Brooks. Considering I look just like Mom with her blonde hair, perfect heart-shape face and button nose, the only difference is I have Dad’s bright green eyes instead of her stormy gray eyes. Mason and Madison took more after Dad with brown hair, but they did get Mom’s eyes.
My parents have no clue that I’ve been pursuing a music career on my own. So whenever my parents decide to be actual parents and show they care about what I’m doing by asking questions like what I’m doing in Nashville all the time, we’ve told them that I’m visiting friends. And I am ok with that lie as I want to build my own career, not build it because of who my parents and siblings are. I don’t want to be one of Hollywood’s nepotism babies who gets what she wants because of who her Mommy and Daddy are. I know it’s been said by the media that Mason and Madison are prime examples of being nepotism babies. And to be honest, I don’t want my parents or siblings to take credit for my hard work and dedication.
