Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails is open now. The exhibit explores the Louisiana native’s ascent to stardom and her identity as both a pragmatic farmer’s daughter and the free-spirited originator of “bell bottom country.”
Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson
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Lainey Wilson confirmed her dream of becoming a country singer-songwriter on her first trip to Nashville. Headed home after a family trip to Dollywood, Wilson convinced her parents to detour through Music City. “I remember telling my parents, as I was looking at the Batman building, ‘This is home.’ I knew it,” she remembers.
Lainey Wilson’s signature bell bottoms are as much a part of her as her Louisiana drawl. They were a bold but savvy choice that ensured she would be noticed. It was partly her own style preference, but also an acknowledgement that women in country music often need more than a great voice and strong songs to succeed.
Lainey Wilson was born in Baskin, Louisiana, a farming community in Franklin Parish in the northeastern part of the state. The youngest daughter of Brian and Michelle Wilson, Lainey and her sister, Janna, enjoyed the abundant space of their rural surroundings: they rode horses and four-wheelers, and swam in nearby Big Creek. As a student at Baskin School and Franklin Academy in nearby Winnsboro, Lainey was a cheerleader and played basketball and softball. She also participated in rodeo events and took dance lessons.
Lainey Wilson Exhibit Highlights
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Outfit
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Lainey Wilson wore this hat, jumpsuit, and necklace on the red carpet at the CMA Awards in 2023.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Stagewear
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Lainey Wilson wore this hat, bolo tie, jacket, and pants at her sold-out concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, Colorado, September 26, 2023.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Stagewear
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Lainey Wilson wore this trench coat, vest, pants, and hat during her halftime performance at the NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Outfit
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Lainey Wilson wore this dress as a member of the cheerleading squad at Franklin Academy, her high school in Franklin Parish, Louisiana.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Saddle
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Lainey Wilson used this horse saddle during her childhood.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Journal
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Sixteen-year-old Lainey Wilson wrote in this journal, “My dream is to become a country singer/songwriter. I know I can do it.”
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Outfit
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Lainey Wilson wore this vest, sleeveless top, denim necktie, jeans, belt, and hat at the 2024 Disney Legends ceremony, August 11, 2024. Wilson performed “Best of Both Worlds” as a tribute to Disney Legends honoree, Miley Cyrus.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Hat
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After a musician gave Lainey Wilson this hat with a feather hatband, she started incorporating cowboy hats into her signature look.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Stagewear
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Lainey Wilson wore this outfit when she made her debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry, February 14, 2020.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Guitar
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This Ibanez Gio model was Lainey Wilson’s first electric guitar, given to her by her father when she was eleven.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Program
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This program for Baskin School’s kindergarten graduation lists Lainey Wilson’s performance of “Butterfly Kisses,” the first time she sang in public.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
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Outfit
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In her role as Abby in the series finale of Yellowstone, Lainey Wilson wore this Wrangler denim vest and these studded jeans when she performed “Hang Tight Honey” on location at Billy Bob’s Texas. She also wore the outfit when she performed with Morgan Wallen during his concert in Kansas City, Missouri, August 1, 2024.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Lainey Wilson Exhibit Building Marquee photo credit: Erick Frost
Official Exhibit Playlist
Click below to listen to the Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails Museum-curated exhibit playlist.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
The exhibition Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails runs July 18, 2025, through June, 2026, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville.