When Lainey Wilson was still just dreaming about a career in country music, it was Reba McEntire whom she looked up to and admired. Now, as one of the reigning superstars in country music, Wilson reveals it’s still McEntire who she looks to for advice and guidance, but this time as a friend and mentor.
“Reba is full of advice, and she is so willing to just give it,” Wilson reveals on SiriusXM‘s The Highway. “I can ask her the deepest question out of nowhere, I just text her and be like, ‘Reba, how do you do this? What do you do in this situation?’ or whatever. And she is so willing just to pay it forward, and you can tell that’s because people did that for her. And so I think that’s just something that I need to remember, is just to be willing to share that.”
It’s McEntire who found out Wilson is the sole host of the upcoming CMA Awards first. Wilson is one of only three female artists, with McEntire and Dolly Parton, who have ever hosted the CMA Awards alone. The last time it happened was in 1991, when McEntire hosted.
“I told Reba, a couple months back, I was like, ‘Hey, don’t tell nobody, but hey, your girl’s hosting the CMAs by herself,'” Wilson recalls. “She’s like, ‘What?’ So she was happy to pass the torch. It’s a huge deal, and I’m so honored to just be invited, much less to be nominated. And then for them to ask me to host the whole thing. it feels good to be able to just champion country music, and champion all my buddies and all my friends who have worked so hard to be there. It’s awesome.”
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Why Lainey Wilson Is So Close to Reba McEntire
This isn’t the first time Wilson has opened up about her close friendship with McEntire. On a recent episode of Rolling Stone‘s Nashville Now podcast, the Louisiana native also sang the praises of the Country Music Hall of Fame member.
“She believes in me, 190 percent,” Wilson boasts. “She’s done nothing but lift me up and encourage me. She’s the type of artist that, if you ask for – it doesn’t matter what it is, she’s gonna drop a bunch of wisdom on you. I’ll just text her anytime and be like, ‘What do you do in this situation? What do you do when you feel like you’re running 90 to nothing, and you’re trying to remind yourself why you’re doing this. What are the tools and tricks that you use to get recentered and focused?’ One time she told me, she said, ‘I think about my sister, who’s worked the same old job for 40 years.’”
Lainey Wilson Is Nominated For 6 CMA Awards
Not only is Wilson hosting the CMA Awards, but she is also nominated for a total of six CMA Awards, tied with Ella Langley and Megan Moroney for the most nominations. Among Wilson’s numerous nominations is one for Entertainer of the Year, the night’s highest honor.
The CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 19, at 8:00 PM ET. The show will air on ABC, and stream the next day on Hulu.