We met Hayes at Fudge recording studio in New Orleans, where he was cutting his first album. He is a talented musician who hopes to make a name for himself in the music industry.

But what he is known for around the world is his art. It is colorful and whimsical. He does it all, from original paintings to posters, dolls and even books.

And while he sells thousands of pieces of art out of his gallery on Chartres Street and another on Toulouse, he is not exactly well known in New Orleans. In fact, some have called him one of the most famous French Quarter artists who nobody knows.

“I suppose that’s probably right. No one’s ever done a story on me before, which I find odd and don’t know what to say about it,” he joked.

Hayes has flown under the radar for years and he says it is true: this is the first story anyone has ever done about him. That’s despite the fact that he is probably the biggest-selling artist in the Quarter after Blue Dog artist George Rodrigue and noted painted James Michalopoulos.

And while you may not know his name, it’s likely you have seen his art. One of his most famous works is a New Orleans jazz cat, which is also the logo for his record label, Pussycat Records.

While he does have local fans, he is a huge hit with tourists. The day we visited his gallery, a woman from Houston who is a big fan bought one of his new posters. She said she has been coming to his shop for years.

And yes – on Tripadvisor.com, under the category of “shopping attractions in New Orleans,” Jamie is the number one draw.

Recently he created a poster for the band Better Than Ezra’s Krewe of Rocckus. It is not your ordinary poster, with raised lettering and a three-dimensional feel.

So you might think that a talented artist, with a love for music, would be in big demand to do art for local festivals. But that is not the case.

“I’ve done music festival posters all over the world, but none here. No one’s ever asked me. Nobody has knocked on my door,” he said.

Actually his biggest dream is to do the Jazz Fest poster one day, but that has not come.

And while Jamie hasn’t gotten the attention of festivals here in Louisiana, he has in England. He is doing the official poster for the upcoming Beatles Fest in Liverpool, where he will also be playing with his band.

But if you ask Jamie whether he is an artist or a musician, the music wins.

“In my heart, absolutely, I’ve always known since I was five years old that I would be a singer, songwriter. But they threw money at me for these paintings so what are you going to do?”

In Jamie’s case, he’ll keep making art, to make a living, and making music to fulfill his dream of selling millions of records one day. Knowing him, he just may do it.

originally posted on WWL