Lainey Wilson

Lainey Denay Wilson was raised in Baskin, Louisiana, a small town with fewer than 300 residents. Her father, Brian Wilson, was a fifth-generation farmer who played guitar, while her mother, Michelle, was a schoolteacher. Wilson has an older sister named Janna.

Wilson became interested in music during childhood. At age nine, she attended a Grand Ole Opry performance that inspired her to pursue a career as a performer. Her father taught her guitar, and she began writing songs by her preteen years. One of her earliest songs, “Lucky Me,” was inspired by Britney Spears.

During middle and high school, Wilson performed as a Hannah Montana impersonator at birthday parties, nursing homes, fairs, and festivals across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. She also formed an underage cover band called the Cadillac Kings, and she once performed for child cancer patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

After graduating from high school, Wilson moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in August 2011 to pursue country music. She lived for three years in a Flagstaff camper trailer outside a recording studio, where she worked on songwriting and played small shows. During the winters, she said she slept in multiple layers of clothing to stay warm and borrowed essential services from a neighbor.

Wilson released her self-titled debut album on the Cupit label in 2014, followed by Tougher on Lone Chief in 2016. Tougher became her first album to reach the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, peaking at No. 44. She also performed with Kasey Tyndall as part of the duo Loretta Jett.

In 2018, Wilson signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV and a major-label recording contract with BBR Music Group. Her early songwriting attracted manager Mandelyn Monchick, who became convinced of Wilson’s talent after hearing “Dreamcatcher.”

Wilson’s BBR era began with the 2019 EP Redneck Hollywood and the single “Dirty Looks.” Her songs also began appearing on Yellowstone, helping introduce her music to a wider audience. She toured with Morgan Wallen in 2019 and made her Grand Ole Opry debut in February 2020.

“Things a Man Oughta Know” became Wilson’s breakthrough single. Released to radio in 2020 and included on her 2021 album Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Country Airplay and No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song drew on lessons and values associated with her upbringing and became her first major country chart-topper.

Wilson’s subsequent work expanded her profile through both solo releases and collaborations. She recorded “Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell, and the duet became her second song to top the Billboard country chart. She also appeared as a supporting act on Jason Aldean’s 2021 Back in the Saddle Tour.

Wilson’s music was featured repeatedly on Yellowstone, beginning with “Working Overtime” in the show’s second season. Series co-creator Taylor Sheridan later offered her an on-camera role designed around her musical identity. She played Abby, a local musician, in the fifth season and appeared in five episodes overall, including the series finale period.

Wilson’s Yellowstone character performed her own songs and had a romantic relationship with ranch worker Ryan, played by Ian Bohen. Her work on the series connected her music career with acting and helped put a face to songs that viewers had already heard on the show.

In 2024, Wilson appeared as herself in the country music documentary Rebel Country. She made her feature-film debut as Amy Matthews in Reminders of Him, a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel.

Wilson followed Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ with the 2022 album Bell Bottom Country, a project that reflected her description of her sound as “bell-bottom country.” The album produced major songs including “Heart Like a Truck” and “Watermelon Moonshine.” She also recorded “Wait in the Truck” with Hardy and “Save Me” with Jelly Roll.

Wilson’s awards recognition accelerated during this period. She won the Country Music Association Awards’ New Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year honors in 2022. In 2023, she won five CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, and Bell Bottom Country won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album.

Her fifth studio album, Whirlwind, was released in August 2024. It debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Top Country Albums chart. The album includes “Hang Tight Honey” and “4x4xU,” while Wilson also wrote and recorded “Out of Oklahoma” for the film Twisters.

Wilson won Entertainer of the Year again at the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards and the 2025 CMA Awards. She also won Album of the Year for Whirlwind at both ceremonies and became only the third woman to win the CMA Entertainer of the Year award twice.

Wilson has been married to former NFL quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges since May 2026. The couple met through mutual friends in Nashville and kept their relationship private for more than two years before making their public debut at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards. They became engaged in February 2025.

In May 2024, Wilson opened Bell Bottoms Up, a three-story bar, Cajun restaurant, and music venue in downtown Nashville. She is also a longtime supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

In 2023, Wilson rejected online claims that she had lost 70 pounds by taking weight-loss gummies. She said that any weight loss came from performing hour-and-a-half shows, maintaining an active lifestyle, meal-prepping, and prioritizing healthy foods.

Wilson later said she had lost around 20 pounds. She also emphasized that changes in her weight were separate from the value of her music.