Lainey Wilson’s Iconic Outfits, Childhood Keepsakes, And More Featured In New Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit
“Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails” opens on July 18.
Lainey Wilson; Photo by CeCe Dawson
Lainey Wilson’s life and career will soon be documented through a brand new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
The newly announced exhibit, Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails, will take fans on a journey from her roots on a small-town farm in Baskin, Louisiana to her rise as a country music superstar.
“From a young age, Lainey Wilson had an unwavering vision and faith in herself,” Kyle Young, chief executive officer of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said. “This exhibit will examine the seeds of her career, including the requisite talent, hard work and ingenuity throughout her ten-year journey in Nashville that fueled her emergence as a globally popular and beloved artist. As her career has flourished, she continues to reflect these roots and core values in her music and life.”
“It’s a dream come true to have my own exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and such an incredible honor to be included next to so many of my heroes and legendary artists,” Wilson added. “These past few years have been a complete whirlwind, and it’s going to be really amazing to see the whole journey captured in the exhibit, along with some special items from growing up in Louisiana. I can’t wait to see how it turned out and for my family, friends and fans to check it out.”
The exhibit will feature stage outfits, instruments, photos, childhood keepsakes, and more. Highlights include:
- The first tooled leather saddle Wilson used as a child.
- The Montana Silversmiths custom-made silver and gold belt buckle — engraved with the brand of her family’s farm in Baskin, Louisiana, and ornamented with rhinestones — that Wilson wore to the Country Music Association Awards in 2022.
- Sixteen-year-old Wilson’s journal, where she wrote, “My dream is to become a country singer/songwriter. I know I can do it.”
- A program for Baskin School’s kindergarten graduation listing Wilson’s first public performance, when she sang “Butterfly Kisses.”
- One of Wilson’s first hats, given to her by a fellow musician who is also a hatmaker.
- A Go Vicki! fringed jacket belonging to Wilson’s mother, which Wilson wore when she performed at Saddlebags, a country music venue in Savannah, Georgia, on February 9, 2018.
- A Wrangler trench coat, denim vest and jeans — all embellished with rhinestones — and the Charlie 1 Horse by Lainey Wilson hat she wore during her halftime performance at the NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024.
- The sequined tank top Wilson wore while impersonating Hannah Montana in the late 2000s.
- The floral-pattern shirt, Cat O’ Nine studded bell bottoms and rhinestone-embellished Kippys belt Wilson wore during her debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry, February 14, 2020.
- The rhinestone-embellished Wrangler vest; Wrangler jeans, accented with feathers and rhinestones; and Rotate metallic bustier Wilson wore at her “Country’s Cool Again” performance at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on June 1, 2024.
- The Wrangler denim vest and studded jeans Wilson wore in her role as Abby in the series finale of “Yellowstone,” when she performed “Hang Tight Honey” on location at Billy Bob’s Texas, a historic country music venue in Fort Worth.
- The Dolce & Gabbana rawhide leather shirt and Alice + Olivia suede bell bottoms Wilson wore during the photo shoot for her 2024 album, Whirlwind.
- The Norma Kamali-designed patchwork-pattern blazer and matching bell bottoms Wilson wore when she made her first appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” May 26, 2022.
- The Carolina Herrera-designed strapless satin bell-bottom jumpsuit with ruffled pant hems Wilson wore on the red carpet at the Country Music Association Awards in 2023.
To celebrate the exhibit, the museum will host a Songwriter Session with Aaron Raitiere and Jon Decious in the Ford Theater. Additional programs will take place throughout the exhibit’s run, including family-friendly arts and crafts activities. For details on upcoming events, visit the museum’s website.
Opening July 18 and running through June 2026, Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails is included with regular museum admission.
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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