Lainey Wilson‘s Tough as Nails exhibit is open now at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The exhibit includes various awards, lyric sheets, wardrobe items, her Hannah Montana wig and more.
“When I first got to Nashville, everybody said, ‘You need a champion,'” Wilson recalls during her remarks at a reception celebrating the opening. “‘Someone who will fight for you, someone who will stand in the gap for you, and shout your name from the rooftops.’ And my very first champions were my mom and daddy. My mama would sit in the bathroom, where the acoustics were the best, and she would listen to every lyric I ever wrote. And then I’d go play it for daddy. He would listen to the finished product, and he would tap his foot if he liked. And I knew that if he didn’t tap his foot, I needed to get back in there and work on it a little bit more.
“The Lord has gifted me with so many champions on this journey,” she continues, citing her kindergarten teacher who let her sing “Butterfly Kisses” on stage, and Jerry Cupit, the songwriter who let her park her camper at his house for three years when she first moved to Nashville from Baskin, Louisiana.
Already achieving more than most in her career, the 33-year-old credits those people who believed in her with making her believe she could also make her country music dreams come true.
@everythingnash @Lainey Wilson celebrates her Tough As Nails exhibit is opening at the @countrymusichalloffame. #countrymusic #laineywilson #nashville ♬ original sound – EverythingNash
“I know that these people placed in my life who believed that I could was no accident,” Wilson says. “When other people believe in you, it makes you feel like you can really believe in yourself. And I truly feel like that energy of belief is contagious. This moment is surreal, and I can’t even begin to express how deeply grateful I am. And just so honored to have my very own exhibit here at the Country Music Hall of Fame. It sounds crazy coming out of my mouth. I have always respected the history of country music.”
Wilson thanks her mother for having all of the items Wilson needed, and more, for her Tough as Nails exhibit.
“I have never been more proud of the fact that my mama was a hoarder, until now. She kept it all,” Wilson says with a laugh.
The “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer concludes her remarks by reflecting on her journey to becoming one of the biggest country music superstars of this generation.
“Behind every song, every show, every step of this wild ride, I have had no choice, but to become tough as nails,” Wilson says. “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.”
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 Image for CMHOF / Jason Kempin