2004-Josh FarroGuitar2004-2010
Zac FarroDrums2004-2010,
2017-
Jeremy DavisBass2004-2015
Hayley WilliamsVocals
John HembreeBass2005
Jason BynumGuitar2004-2005
Hunter LambGuitar2005-2007
Taylor YorkGuitar2007-
The band name was derived from the maiden name of the mother of one of the band's former members. After the group learned the meaning of the homophone "paramour" ("secret lover"), they decided to adopt the name, but to continue using the Paramore spelling.
In 2003, when she was just 15, Hayley Williams signed to the Atlantic Records emo imprint Fueled By Ramen. The label planned to make her a pop singer, but Williams resisted, insisting on playing alternative rock music backed by a band. She got her way, but her bandmates didn't get record deals like she did, which caused some friction later on.
Paramore's lineup has changed on numerous occasions since the band's founding. Jeremy Davis left the band in 2005 before their first album was recorded, inspiring the remaining members to write "All We Know" about his departure and to use the song as the basis for their first album, titled All We Know Is Falling. Davis later returned to the band, but in the meantime was replaced by John Hembree. Later, rhythm guitatrist Jason Bynum was added to the band, but left, replaced by Hunter Lamb. Lamb also left in 2007, replaced by Taylor York. In 2010, the Farro brothers left the band under acrimonious circumstances, but in 2017 Zac Farro returned, leaving him, Williams and York the core members.
Their debut album, All We Know Is Falling, didn't get much attention when it was released in 2005, but as the band picked up steam, many fans discovered it. The songs "Pressure" and "Emergency" are fan favorites that often show up in the band's setlists.
Paramore covered the Foo Fighters' "
My Hero" for the
Sound of Superman soundtrack in 2006. Also in 2006, the band was voted Best New Band, and Hayley Williams was voted as #2 Sexiest Female by readers of the British magazine
Kerrang!Hayley Williams and Josh Farro dated from 2004-2007. They were also the main songwriters for the group, a combustible arrangement when they split up. They continued to write together for the group's 2009 album Brand New Eyes, and Williams used the opportunity to speak her truth in the lyrics.
In 2007 Paramore was featured in a number of spots on MTV, performing acoustic versions of their songs or acting in short accompaniments to MTV promos. The promotion paid off; for weeks in August 2007, the video for "
Misery Business" from
Riot was the most-streamed video at MTV's website.
Paramore were nominated for Best New Artist at the 2008 Grammy Awards, but lost to Amy Winehouse. By this time they weren't exactly new - they had two albums out.
Paramore's song "
Decode" was featured as the lead single for the hit movie
Twilight in 2008. Another Paramore song, "I Caught Myself," is also in the film.
The band released a live album, The Final Riot!, in 2008. It includes a bonus DVD with a full concert recorded in Chicago, as well as a tour documentary.
To promote the Brand New Eyes album in 2009, the band recorded a performance for MTV Unplugged. Paramore also played a sold out 15-date European tour to support the album.
In 2010, the Farro brothers left Paramore, sparking a storm of conflicting stories about the reasons for the split. On December 18, 2010 Williams, Davis and York posted on the band's website, stating, "For the last year it hasn't seemed as if [the Farro brothers] wanted to be around anymore. We want Josh and Zac to do something that makes them happy and if that isn't here with us, then we support them finding happiness elsewhere. But we never for a second thought about leaving any of this behind."
Josh Farro wrote a statement on his blog, claiming that the band was "a manufactured product of a major-label," and accusing Williams of treating the band as her backing band, who, Farro stated, were "riding on the coattails of her dream." The band took to MTV.com to address Farro's statements, confirming that Williams was the only member of the band actually signed to Atlantic, but also promising to continue on as Paramore.
One of the band's favorite ways of passing the time on the road is watching scary movies. Williams told Spin magazine: "Taylor [York] hates gory scenes, but somehow we always get him to watch these movies with us. Then at some point he will leave the room until the screaming subsides."
Hayley Williams has several nicknames, including Hayleyball, H-bom, Hayles,and SpongeBob. "When I was 16, our drummer Zac Farro called me SpongeBob because I have a gap in my teeth like SpongeBob," Hayley explained to NME regarding her latter moniker. "What a jerk!"
Paramore's eponymous fourth album, their first as a trio following the departure of Josh and Zac Farro, was their first to reach #1 in America. The album also reached the peak position in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
Hayley Williams told NME in April 2013 that she has eight tattoos. She said: "I've got a razor on my ankle that says 'shave me', a cloud behind my ear that says 'Warped', a cross on my thigh, 'TCB' on my left elbow, the Paramore bars on my wrist, a Johnny Mercer lyric on my wrist, flowers on my hip and I just got a hand holding an envelope on my thigh."
Hayley Williams married New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert at a ceremony in Nashville's Franklin Theater on February 20, 2016 in front of about 50 people. The orange-haired Paramore singer wore a short-sleeved fitted bodice with a ballgown skirt. The couple had been dating since 2008 and engaged since Christmas Day 2014.
On July 1, 2017, Williams and Gilbert announced on Instagram that they'd separated but would continue to be close friends.
Paramore announced on February 2, 2017, that Zac Farro was returning as the official drummer of the band. Farro's homecoming developed gradually after a personal rekindling with Taylor York, his childhood best friend. Their reconciliation became a necessity because the pair kept running into each other socially. "Every teenage year that I lived was in this band, on tour," Farro told The New York Times. "I needed a reset button."
Hayley Williams is known for her constantly changing hairstyles. In 2016 she launched her own hair color brand called goodDYEyoung. Their first shade was "Riot," the orange she wore when Paramore was on the rise in 2007 and 2008.
Early on, Paramore performed wherever they could, often driven to gigs by Hayley Williams' parents. Their first show was a house party in Mississippi playing in a stranger's living room.
Paramore released their music on Atlantic Records until 2023 because Williams signed an all-encompassing 20-year deal with the label in 2003 when she was just 15. When they were finally free from the label, Williams wrote a tranche of songs for a new album, but decided to make it a solo album instead. The result was her self-released 2025 album Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party.
