Lainey Wilson’s Momma “Cannot Carry a Tune in a Bucket,” but She Certainly Knows What’s Best for Her Daughter

It’s easy to see Lainey Wilson’s story as one of self-made success. In 2011, she left her tiny Louisiana hometown and headed east for Nashville in pursuit of a dream. There, she lived in a “little Flagstaff bumper-pull camper trailer” outside of a recording studio, hustling and grinding until 2021, when she caught fire with her breakout hit “Things A Man Oughta Know.” However, the reigning Entertainer of the Year is always quick to highlight her support system. Recently, she shared the unexpected impact that her mom, Michelle Wilson, has had on her career.

Lainey Wilson Knows When to Heed Her Mom’s Advice

Growing up in a family that favored Buck Owens and Glen Campbell, Lainey Wilson knew at a young age that country music was her future. “[For] me and my family, it was more than music. We lived the words to those songs,” Wilson said in a 2021 interview.

Although Michelle Wilson has always had plenty advice for her daughter, the “4x4xU” singer, 32, admits she wasn’t always receptive. “I remember even, like, growing up and singing—and my momma cannot carry a tune in a bucket, but she would try to tell me how to sing, and it would make me so mad, because I was like, ‘You can’t sing,’” Wilson recently told Bobby Bones ahead of the 60th ACM Awards.

Despite her lack of musical inclination, however, it turns out that sometimes, mother does know best. “I will say when it comes to, like, choosing songs and picking songs, the ones that I write, I can always trust my momma’s judgment,” Wilson said. “And she will tell me. She’ll be like, ‘I don’t think that one is as good as you think it is.’”

Will She Repeat at the ACM Awards

With just one day remaining until the 60th ACM Awards ceremony, Lainey Wilson could have another big night. The “Watermelon Moonshine” singer is looking for a repeat victory as Entertainer of the Year, although she faces stiff competition in Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, and Morgan Wallen.

Behind leading nominee Ella Langley, Wilson is tied with Johnson and Wallen with seven nominations apiece. She also scored nods for Female Artist of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. Her 2024 album Whirlwind is also up for multiple awards, along with its single “4x4xU.”

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