Lainey Wilson was destined for stardom. The 33-year-old recalls being just five years old, singing “Butterfly Kisses” at her school’s kindergarten graduation, and knowing even then that she was meant to be a singer.
“I was ready,” Wilson tells People. “I’ll tell you what, I felt alive at five years old. I knew it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me at five years old.”
Wilson’s Tough as Nails exhibit, open now at the Country Music Hall of Fame, details Wilson’s slow but steady rise in country music, from growing up in the small town of Baskin, Louisiana, to winning multiple awards, selling out arenas and more.
“I have always had stars in my eyes,” Wilson reflects. “I see it in the pictures of me as a little girl. I feel like I’ve tried my best to hold on to that inner child, and I’m proud of her. I think she’s got grit.”
Grit, indeed. When celebrating her exhibit opening, Wilson reflected on the path she took, including living in a camper for three years, fueled only by her belief in herself.
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“Behind every song, every show, every step of this wild ride, I have had no choice, but to become tough as nails,” Wilson said at her exhibit opening. “And that’s why we decided to call this exhibit Tough as Nails. To be here in this sacred place, with my work displayed alongside the greats who have shaped country music is something that I’ll never take for granted … I am deeply honored to have my name alongside theirs. It’s a testament not only to my personal journey, but to the power of this community, and to the people who believe in what you do.”
Wilson might have fierce determination, but she also has a lot of humility. The “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer was humbled that she had even lived enough, and accomplished enough, to have her own Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit.
“Even though I have been working my entire life for this, I still feel like I somehow got started yesterday,” Wilson admits. “So for me, I was a little bit like … An exhibit? Oh, shoot. Like, is there enough story to tell?”
Wilson’s successes have come at a hefty price, albeit one she was happy to pay. The hard work meant very little time at home with her loved ones, including her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, along with her family and friends. But this year, Wilson has been focusing more on being more present, and less on being always on the go.
“I’ve been able to spend a little bit more time at home this year,” Wilson says. “And so I really feel centered and grounded and able to come here during that season of my life and really get to soak this in and see where it started. Coming here today and getting to see it from start to finish, it puts a lot of things in perspective for me.”
More information on Wilson’s Tough as Nails exhibit can be found at CountryMusicHallofFame.org. Find all of Wilson’s music and upcoming shows at LaineyWilson.com.
Photo Credit: Getty for CMHOF / Jason Kempin