Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The country star reflects on her long journey of hard work and success, calling the moment “good for my soul tonight.”
Lainey Wilson Reflects on Her Rise to Stardom as Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit Opens: ‘This Is Good for My Soul’
Lainey Wilson admits she was a bit stunned when she first learned she would be the focus of a major Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit.
“Even though I’ve been working toward this my whole life, it still feels like I just got started,” the 33-year-old country star tells PEOPLE. “I honestly wondered, ‘Do I even have enough of a story yet?’”
Turns out—she does. Since breaking through just four years ago with her chart-topping single “Things a Man Oughta Know,” Wilson’s journey has been nothing short of meteoric. The rapid pace of her career even inspired the title of her latest album, Whirlwind.
But on Thursday evening in Nashville, things slowed down as Wilson took a rare pause to walk through the exhibit chronicling her life and career. The moment, she says, was deeply grounding and “humbling.”
“I’ve been home more this year than usual, so I feel really centered,” she shares. “To be able to visit this exhibit during a season like that—it helped me see the full picture, where everything started and how far things have come. It really puts everything in perspective.”
Her biggest takeaway from seeing her life on display?
“That I’m hardheaded!” she jokes.
The exhibit’s title, Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails, certainly reflects that grit. It traces her journey from her rural upbringing in the tiny town of Baskin, Louisiana, to her early dreams of becoming a performer—dreams that began when she was just five years old. A family vacation to Nashville only solidified her goal of making it big in country music. But the road to success wasn’t easy: Wilson spent over a decade paying her dues in a city known for its tough climb.
The exhibit tells her story through a carefully curated collection of personal items—many of which were preserved thanks to her mother, Michelle. According to museum editor Angela Stefano Zimmer, who co-curated the exhibit with Jon Freeman, Wilson’s mother kept a trove of mementos from Lainey and her sister Janna’s childhood.
“I’ve never been more proud to say my mom was a hoarder,” Wilson said with a smile during the museum’s reception. “She kept everything. And she said to tell y’all it’s because she always believed in me.”
Among the keepsakes is a photo from Wilson’s very first public performance—singing “Butterfly Kisses” at her kindergarten graduation in 1998—alongside a program showing she was the only child that day to perform a solo. While Wilson doesn’t remember that detail, she clearly recalls the feeling of being on stage at five years old.
“I knew right then. I felt alive. It was like the Holy Spirit spoke to me,” she says.
The exhibit features charming artifacts from her childhood: a cheerleading outfit, Brownie vest, a pair of tiny red Bronco boots, and a small tooled saddle from the horse she grew up riding—Scooter. Wilson was especially touched to see the saddle included.
“I learned a lot in that saddle,” she says. “That little white horse taught me to ride, and every time I see that saddle, I remember the cowgirl in me is still there.”
Throughout the entire collection, two things shine through clearly: Wilson’s unwavering passion for music and her fierce determination to turn that passion into a career.
“I’ve always had stars in my eyes,” she reflects. “Even as a little girl, you can see it in my face. I’ve tried hard to hold on to that inner child. I’m really proud of her. She’s got grit.”