Lainey Wilson: The Weight Of Opry Membership
When Lainey Wilson was made a member of the Grand Ole Opry on June 7 during CMA week, she already knew how important this step was in her career.
Lainey told us after she heard she was becoming a member, many of her female contemporaries reached out. She said, “I will tell ya, just hearing from the ladies in my life, even ladies who aren’t inducted into the Grand Ole Opry as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. They told me how much weight that truly does carry. I’ve known that from the beginning.”
She added, “But also when you share that like sisterhood, I guess you could say knowing how important this place is, it’s helped me along my journey.”
Wilson will always be grateful for what the Opry did for her on day one, “They let me come play here before anybody knew who I was. And they let me walk on that stage, pour my heart out, and sing my songs. It was a huge platform for me. I will absolutely never forget that.”
Lainey did not say who reached out to her, but many of today’s biggest female country stars, including Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, and more, are members of the Grand Ole Opry family. Others in country music who are not members of the Grand Ole Opry include Miranda Lambert, George Strait, and Tim McGraw.
RELATED: Lainey Wilson Joins Anne Wilson To Perform ‘Praying Woman’
Wilson is one of many acts who have been invited to open stadium shows for the Rolling Stones this summer. Lainey will open for the Stones in Chicago at Soldier Field on June 30.
When we asked her about playing the opening slot for the rock icons earlier this month, she said, “Can you believe that? I am getting to play a show with the Rolling Stones. Yep, they are gonna have to roll me up out of there cause that is absolutely insane.”
Wilson did get a chance to catch them in concert a few years ago when they played the Music City. She recalled, “I got to see them; I think it was 2016 or 2017 down here (Nashville) at the stadium because somebody from my hometown was going, and they got sick. It just worked out so I could actually see them. I thought, ‘I might not ever get a chance to see them again.'”
