• James Shay Mooney is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of the duo Dan + Shay.
• As of early 2020, his net worth is estimated to be over $1 million.
• He dropped out of college to pursue a career in music and joined Nappy Boy Entertainment.
• He rose to fame in 2013 after the release of their debut single and has since released several albums.
• He is married to former Miss Arkansas Hannah Billingsley and has two children.
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Who is Shay Mooney?
Born on December 27, 1991 in Arkansas, USA, James Shay Mooney is a singer as well as a songwriter, best known as one half of the duo Dan + Shay. The two rose to fame in 2013 after the release of their debut single, which led to their first album. Since then, the group has made several musical releases.
The Wealth of Shay Mooney
As of the beginning of 2020, Shay Mooney’s net worth is estimated to be over $1 million earned through a successful career in the music industry over the past decade. Most of his wealth can be attributed to the success of Dan + Shay, although he has also had a few solo or collaborative songwriting projects.
The two have gone on several tours, which has also helped them achieve their current financial status.
Beginning of early life, education and career
Shay grew up in Natural Dam, Arkansas, where he attended Union Christian Academy. He then attended Van Buren High School, which, as the name implies, is located in Van Buren, Arkansas. Growing up, he developed a strong interest in music, but after graduating from high school, he considered a college degree and decided to pursue it and enrolled at Valley Forge Christian College, now known as The University or Valley Forge (UVF).
The school is known for its association with the Assemblies of God, a large Pentecostal denomination. However, he was not determined to study as more prospects of a music career came over him, so after a year he dropped out to fully focus on music and started his career collaborating with his girlfriend at the time. Veronica Ballestrini.
Solo artist and the formation of Dan + Shay
Shay has uploaded covers of several popular songs through the online platform YouTube, which has been a springboard for many aspiring singers. He uploaded videos of himself doing covers alongside Ballestrini, which became popular, and she later released a solo album for which he received a few songwriting credits.
With his skills in singing and songwriting, he later became signed to Nappy Boy Entertainment owned by artist T-Pain; the other well-known artists on the label are Travie McCoy and Gym Class Heroes.
Around this time, his future partner Dan Smyers was also making his way through the entertainment industry and was a member of the Floodgate Records-signed band called Transition. He later joined another group called Bonaventure where associations would meet them. With the same love for singing and songwriting, the duo soon took up songwriting together.
Their first effort was considered by the group Rascall Flatts, and after a few months many labels wanted to sign them as a couple. Ultimately, she accepted an offer to work for Warner/Chappell Music, one of the largest publishing houses in the world.
Become famous
In 2013, Dan + Shay released their first single called “19 You + Me” written by the duo with the help of Danny Orton, which got some airtime on country radio, received positive reviews and was even praised by the publication “Taste of Country”. A few months later, their debut album “Where It All Began” was released, with production credits from Scott Hendricks, who is known for producing many 1990s hits.
In the middle of 2014, they released another single called “Show You Off” and held their first televised performance on “The Ellen Show”.
They also made their debut on the weekly “Grand Ole Opry” stage concert. Due to the great success they achieved in a short period of time, the duo was nominated for a Vocal Duo of the Year award at the Academy of Country Music Awards held in the same year. In early 2015, they released their third single “Nothin’ Like You”, which reached the top of the Country Airplay chart, while also touring as the opening act for Hunter Hayes, as well as opening on Blake Shelton’s Ten Times Crazier Tour.
They then had their first headlining tour, going on 10 dates to promote their album.
Recent projects
Following their solo tour, the duo toured once more with Hunter Hayes on his Tattoo (Your Name) Tour. From mid-2015, they held the Just the Right Kind of Crazy Tour, performing all over the US. The following year they released a new single called “From the Ground Up” which promoted their upcoming album and released “How Not To” a few months later, followed by their third album – “Trip awayin 2017.
In 2018, Shay and Dan announced plans for a third album and released the single “Tequila” in the meantime. Their self-titled album was released a few months later, just as “Tequila” reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, their biggest hit to date. They also collaborated with Kelly Clarkson for the song “Keeping Score”, before announcing in 2019 that they were working on a new song in collaboration with singer Justin Bieber. The song “10,000 hourswas released a few days after Bieber’s wedding and debuted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
Private life
While Shay got some attention during his relationship with Veronica Ballestrini, the couple eventually broke up and embarked on separate music careers. He later started a relationship with former Miss Arkansas Hannah Billingsley, and the couple announced their engagement in 2016. A few months later, they had a son and later got married in 2017. They now have two children and live in Arkansas.
General information
| First and last name | Shay Mooney |
| Profession | Singer, songwriter, guitarist, from the ground up, how not to, when I pray for you |
| Nationality | American |
