Lainey Wilson Cements Her Icon Status At Billy Bob’s Texas, Performs With Megaphone After Lightning Strike
Wilson also welcomed the legendary Randy Travis to the stage during her performance.
Lainey Wilson; Photos Courtesy Instagram
Lainey Wilson proved why she is more than worthy of her recent CMA Entertainer Of The Year nomination during her concert at the iconic Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth on Friday (Sept. 8).
The “Watermelon Moonshine” singer was faced with a significant technical challenge when lightning struck the venue’s sound equipment, resulting in a sound outage during her set at “The World’s Largest Honky Tonk.”
A Memorable Night At Billy Bob’s
Addressing the audience with a sense of humor and grace, Wilson acknowledged the issue and told the capacity crowd, “So clearly, we are having some technical difficulties… I don’t even know if y’all can hear me.”
In true showbiz fashion, Wilson didn’t let the brief outage dampen her performance. With a resilience reminiscent of country legends who know the show must go on, Wilson grabbed a megaphone and kept the audience entertained as she and her band waited for the sound system to work again.
Instead of giving in to the technical difficulties, the country superstar went on to deliver an impressive cover of Keith Whitley’s timeless tune, “When You Say Nothing At All.”
She Didn’t Let Her Fans Down
Her ability to engage the audience and maintain the energy of the show during such challenges further solidifies her status as an emerging force in country music, deserving of her accolades and nominations. It’s moments like these that showcase the true grit and artistry of performers like Lainey Wilson.
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The concert eventually continued after the sound system was restored, and Wilson performed not only her chart-topping hits such as “Heart Like A Truck” and “Things A Man Oughta Know” but also surprised the audience with an appearance by country music icon, Randy Travis.
“It ain’t every night you get to bring out the legend @therandytravis nor sing through a megaphone but we covered both of those last night at @billybobstexas 😂 📢” Wilson wrote on social media. ”Thank y’all for your patience while we waited for the power to kick back on…guess ya could say lightning likes us these days.”
History-Making CMA Awards Nominations
Wilson’s Billy Bob’s performance comes after she dominated the nominations for the 57th Annual CMA Awards and made history along the way.
The reigning CMA Female Vocalist and New Artist Of The Year made CMA Awards history again this year as the only artist to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the Final Ballot.
In 2022, the “Heart Like A Truck” singer topped the list of nominees with six nominations as a first-time nominee. This year, Wilson earned a whopping nine nominations, including the coveted Entertainer Of The Year, Single Of The Year (“Wait In The Truck” with HARDY & “Heart Like A Truck”), Album Of The Year (‘Bell Bottom Country’), Song Of The Year (“Heart Like A Truck”), Female Vocalist Of The Year, Musical Event Of The Year (“Save Me” with Jelly Roll and “Wait In The Truck” with HARDY) and Music Video Of The Year (“Wait In The Truck” with HARDY).
Upon hearing the news of her historic nominations, Wilson took to social media to showcase gratitude and share her reaction with fans.
A Pinch-Me Moment
“Holy moly y’all. Someone pinch me. I can’t believe my eyes. 🥹 I’m so proud of everything we’ve done this year for my own music and these collabs with my brothers @hardy and @jellyroll615,” she wrote.
She continued, ”Thank y’all for having me on these songs ❤️ Being nominated in each of these categories amongst my friends means the world to me. And the coveted Entertainer Of The Year category?! It’s absolutely surreal. We bust our butts out there on the road every dang night to give y’all the best show possible and I have the time of my life doing it. All I gotta say is thank y’all. I love country music 🤘🏻”
Wilson is the fourth artist in CMA Awards history to receive nine or more nominations in a single year, following Merle Haggard and Miranda Lambert as well as Alan Jackson, who holds the record with 10 nominations in 2002.
She is also the first artist in 14 years to secure double nominations for Single Of The Year in the same year with “Heart Like a Truck” and her collaboration with HARDY on “Wait in the Truck.” Miranda Lambert was the last artist to achieve such recognition in the category in 2010, when she was nominated for “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar.”
Fans can tune into the 2023 CMA Awards in November to see if Wilson will take home the trophies. Co-hosted by country superstar Luke Bryan and National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, the 57th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 8 at 8/7c on ABC.
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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