A Day in the Life: Lainey Wilson Celebrates Her First-Ever No.1, ‘Things A Man Oughta Know’
It was a cold and rainy Tuesday in Nashville when breakout country star Lainey Wilson experienced yet another career milestone:…
Jason Nix, Lainey Wilson, Jonathan Singleton; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
It was a cold and rainy Tuesday in Nashville when breakout country star Lainey Wilson experienced yet another career milestone: her very first No.1 party.
Months after her Platinum-certified hit, “Things A Man Oughta Know,” reached the top of the charts, it was finally time to celebrate and she was more than ready. But, before the Louisiana native could enjoy the party, Wilson went to work.
She was scheduled to go to the studio to record liners for iHeartRadio and later do an hour of press before her co-writers, friends, family and fellow members of the country music community gathered at Melrose Billiard Parlor to toast the success of the song.
Country Now tagged along with Wilson for the day to get an inside look at her first No.1 party, which was an emotion-filled celebration of the song that truly changed her life.
Studio Time
Wilson arrived at a Music Row-area studio to record her liners and spent nearly an hour rattling off promotional scripts and singing jingles for various iHeartRadio stations around the country. While at the studio, she ran into fellow ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominees, Tenille Arts and Caitlyn Smith, who were also on-site to record liners. They grabbed a quick photo and talked about their ACM Awards red carpet looks before heading their separate ways.
Glam
Before speaking with the media, Wilson got a makeup touch-up — in the bathroom.
“Everybody thinks it’s all glamourous. We in here with the shitters,” Wilson laughed as her team lit their cell phone flashlights to brighten up the dimly-lit restroom.
Photoshoot
Wilson then met up with a photographer for The Tennessean who snapped several portraits of her inside The Rambler Cocktail Bar.
Media
Next up was a media round-robin with her co-writers, Jason Nix and Jonathan Singleton. Members of the press fired off questions for the songwriting trio as they re-lived the day they wrote “Things A Man Oughta Know.”
“We got to talking about my childhood and I write with these guys so much, they know a lot about my life,” Wilson recalled. “…When we sat down to write the first verse, we really just were kind of listing off things that my parents had taught me. But the bigger picture was the things and certain characteristics that my family, and their families too, taught us to look for in ourselves but also in relationships, or friendships or whatever it was.”
Thinking about the meaning behind the song, Wilson passionately stated, “At the end of the day, the song is not about whether you can change a flat tire or start a fire. The song is about having good character, it’s about treating people right, and I think that’s something that all three of us stand for and believe in.”
No.1 Party
From the moment Wilson walked into the Melrose Billiard Parlor, you could feel the love in the room. Hugs were exchanged left and right as she made her way through the crowd, greeting family, friends, her record label and management teams, publishers and more.
After industry executives and her co-writers spoke, Wilson emotionally addressed the crowd.
“Country music is my life. It has been my life. I’ve always just wanted to tell stories,” she began.
Wilson went on to recount the 10+ years she’s spent in Nashville and thanked her parents for supporting her through it all. She also remembered the tough moments that she encountered while living in a camper trailer before getting her big break.
“This has been my dream from the beginning, and my parents have supported me any way they possibly can. They helped me buy a camper trailer back in 2011. We brought it to Nashville, anchored it down to the ground. I knew absolutely nobody, but I knew that this is what I was going to do. And I had been bound and determined to do this thing,” she said. “And there’s been no plan B for me at all. I kind of feel like if you have a plan B, then plan A is not gonna work, but I will tell you, I moved to this town not knowing anybody, not knowing where to go. I knocked on doors down on Music Row. Some people would slam the door in my face, but it took me seven years to even finally, slightly get my foot in the door and sign a publishing deal over at Sony ATV.”
Holding back tears, Wilson shared her gratitude for everyone who has helped her along the way, including her close friends and fellow artists Kasey Tyndall, Meghan Patrick and Ashland Craft, who teared up while watching her speak.
“I always compare the music business to what my daddy does [farming]. He gets up every single day. He does the same dang thing. He has good years. He has bad years. But at the end of the day, if it’s your livelihood, if it’s what you love, if it’s what you know, then you have no other option than to just get up and do the damn thing,” she acknowledged. “I have had so many people in this town who have helped me make that possible. And I still can’t even explain it, but I’m literally looking around right now and I see so many people who have just… It is a genuine love and support that I cannot explain. But seriously just feels like a prayer answered.”
“Things A Man Oughta Know” is featured on Wilson’s debut album, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’. The song is currently nominated for ACM Song of the Year.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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