Haley was an important old-time fiddler from Harts Creek (Logan County). Though he never recorded commercially or played on the radio, his street and courthouse performances influenced many musicians, including Clark Kessinger, Georgia Slim Rutland, and Wilson Douglas.

Years later, his son Lawrence shared some of his father's home recordings, which were preserved by the Library of Congress and released on Rounder Records. Often called a Kentucky fiddler because he lived in Ashland, Haley’s roots were planted firmly in the Mountain State. In 2015, he was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.