Lainey Wilson 093
Look closer for eleven lyrics and four song titles: “Then he raised his hand, said teacher I can’t, draw daddy. Do you have a whiskey colored crayon?” (Whiskey Colored Crayon); “And yeah, I know a boy who gave up and got it wrong.” (Things A Man Oughta Know); “So you’re a sophomore, stuck in a slump.” (Middle Of It); “If there’s a green pasture, I wanna be in it.” (Good Horses); “Hangin’ on for more than 8 seconds” (Call A Cowboy); “Shoot, think that’s a duck” (Counting Chickens); “Runs on dreams and gasoline.” (Heart Like A Truck); “He got the bird.” (Ring Finger); “Drink the Pontchartrain bone dry.” (Bar In Baton Rouge); “I know the difference ‘tween wrong and right.” (Devil Don’t Go There); “I was told He was angry.” (The Jesus I Know Now); Can’t Sit Still; Country’s Cool Again; Good Horses; and 4x4xU.
The Story
Lainey Denay Wilson born 05-19-1992, is an American country singer-songwriter, and guitarist. She performed at an early age before pursuing a pop music career in Nashville, Tennessee. Wilson released an EP in 2019 that included the song “Things a Man Oughta Know”. In 2020, BBR Music Group issued the single. It went number one on American Country songs chart. Since, she’s received 9 Country Music Association Awards, Entertainer of the Year (2023 and 2025), a Grammy Award and 16 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Early Life: From Baskin, Louisiana (pop. 250), she listened to classic country by Buck Owens and Glen Campbell with her family. Her dad, Brian a farmer, mom, Michelle, a schoolteacher and sister, Janna, “lived the words to those songs.”
At age 9, she attended the Grand Ole Opry. “I just remember looking up there, being like, ‘Man, I wanna do that’.” Lainey’s father taught her guitar chords. At 14, she released the EP “Country Girls Rule” on Myspace. She impersonated Hannah Montana at birthdays and other events across Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Career 2011–2018: After high school Wilson moved to Nashville. Early years were difficult, in a camper trailer outside a recording studio, mooching water and electric. “It taught me that this thing was not going to be easy. It taught me perseverance.” Wilson played small shows and worked on her songwriting. Her 2014 self-titled album was on Cupit. Next was Tougher, on the Lone Chief label. Tougher made the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. An EP then led to her signing a publishing deal with Sony/ATV in 2018.
2019–present: Later in 2018, Lainey signed a major-label recording contract with the BBR Music Group. Her first major-label release was her third EP Redneck Hollywood (2019) which spawned the debut single, “Dirty Looks”. Off the Record UK praised it, “The EP is raw and real, pushing the country music genre wider than ever and bringing it back to the traditional while still reinventing it to its modern surroundings.” Country Music Television noticed, and included her in their “Listen Up” Class of 2019 and the “2019 CMT Next Women of Country” tour. She toured with Morgan Wallen in 2019 and several of her songs were featured in the Paramount Network show Yellowstone.
August of 2020 was when BBR issued Wilson’s single “Things a Man Oughta Know”. The track gained heavy media attention from sites like YouTube, Apple Music, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and Pandora. By 2021, the song was #1 on Billboard Country Airplay and #3 on Hot Country Songs. It was included on her third studio album, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ (2021). Her first full-length album on BBR, contained 12 tracks, and was her second to reach Billboard country albums chart, peaking at #40.
Wilson appeared as a supporting act on Jason Aldean’s “Back in the Saddle Tour” in 2021. The same year, Wilson collaborated with Cole Swindell on his single “Never Say Never”. The duet was released as the second single from Swindell’s fourth studio album Stereotype, and became Wilson’s second single to top the Billboard country chart. It was followed by her 2022 single, “Heart Like a Truck”, from the album Bell Bottom Country. Wilson led with six nominations at the 56th Annual Country Music Association Awards. She was the fourth artist to receive six or more nominations as a first-time nominee. Wilson joined the cast of Yellowstone in 2022. Some of her songs featured in the series. She was a co-writer on the 2023 single “Chasing Tornadoes” with MacKenzie Porter. Wilson led the 57th Annual CMA Awards, with 9 nominations in 2023. She won five including Entertainer of the Year, the first woman since Taylor Swift in 2009.
On May 9, 2024, Wilson announced her fifth album, Whirlwind released on August 23, 2024. “Hang Tight Honey” the lead single released on country radio, May 20, 2024. In 2024, Whirlwind was nominated for Best Country Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, to take place in 2025. On April 17, 2026, she released “Younger You” with Miley Cyrus, a duet version of Cyrus’s single.
Influences: Wilson’s musical style is rooted in country music with elements of pop, southern rock, contemporary country and classic country. In describing her style, AllMusic’s Mark Deming commented, “Wilson’s voice is clear and strong, with an unapologetic Southern accent, and her songs are tough but heartfelt contemporary country with an edge that has its roots in vintage Southern rock and classic rock, as well as a dash of modern-day pop.” In describing her own musical style, Wilson characterized it as “bell-bottom country”, which Taste of Country called “a cross between easy listening and hard truths.” Wilson has been heavily influenced by Dolly Parton, paying tribute to her in the self-composed track “WWDD” (What Would Dolly Do). She also credits Lee Ann Womack as an influence on her career and music.
Personal life: In 2022, Wilson’s father, Brian Wilson, experienced severe health issues including a stroke and a fungal infection, losing his left eye. It the time, she was filming Yellowstone. She wanted to quit the show to be with him. But her father encouraged her to continue filming. He eventually recovered and was seen accompanying her on the red carpet at the 56th CMA Awards.
In late 2022, Wilson went viral on TikTok. A concert video spread quickly where the leopard print pants Wilson was wearing. Users felt they were quite flattering to the size and shape of her buttocks. For her part, Lainey acknowledged the trend and has largely responded to it with good humor, expressing hope that people would be inspired to listen to her music.
In May 2023, Wilson was confirmed to be in a relationship with ex-NFL quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges. Wilson later revealed in an interview with The Bobby Bones Show that she and Hodges had been dating for over two years prior to the public revelation. Both Hodges and Wilson are Pittsburgh Steelers supporters, because Hodges used to play quarterback for them.
On May 31, 2024, Wilson opened Bell Bottoms Up, a three-story bar, Cajun restaurant and music venue, in downtown Nashville.
-credit Wikipedia
The artwork:
First print of this illustration will be sold to benefit a non-profit. For information, email lisafromlsu@gmail.com
Digital print on Archival Matte paper – illustration done in graphite and Prisma Colors: Chrimson Red, red bandanna (Bar In Baton Rouge); Indigo Blue (Bell Bottoms Up Bar); Spanish Orange and Burnt Ochre (whiskey color); and Yellow for filming (Yellowstone)
Artist: Tobin Bortner of Bastrop, Texas – drawing done in July of 2026 – ©Tobin Signs/Look Closer Illustrations
Derivative Work references: hat, face, earrings and hair from images_hellomagazine_com – d86fb3778359-gettyimages-1470624900; blouse and necklaces from musicmayhemmagazine_com – Lainey-Wilson-Photo-Courtesy-of-Emma-McIntyre_Getty-Images-for-CMT
What you get:
11 x 14 Print Package with Authenticity Sheet
signed and numbered (run of 130)
Calculated at time of purchase:
Shipping (Domestic Priority Mail)
Sales Tax (0.0675)
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