Lainey Wilson has certainly made her mark in country music and is now one of the genre’s biggest stars — but even she had humble beginnings. While it might seem like she became an overnight success, Wilson has been hustling for more than a decade.

The Baskin, La., native first moved to Nashville in 2011, right after graduating high school. She lived in a camper trailer outside of a recording studio while she chased her dream of making country music.

When Did Lainey Wilson Get Her Big Break?

They say Nashville is a “10-year town,” meaning it can take a decade to break through in the business. That proved true for Wilson.

Her 2020 song “Things a Man Oughta Know” started gaining traction, setting the stage for her breakout moment. In 2021, she hit the road on Jason Aldean’s Back in the Saddle Tour, and by 2022, she was named New Female Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards.

That recognition became the catalyst for the “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer’s skyrocketing career — and she’s never looked back.

Wilson’s star has only grown bigger and brighter since then. The awards keep piling up, and her crowds have multiplied over the last three years.

Lainey Wilson Will Headline Stagecoach in 2026

From festivals to sold-out tours, Wilson has been owning stages across the nation for the last few years. In 2026, she’ll headline Stagecoach Music Festival alongside Cody Johnson and Post Malone.

Sometimes, just seeing an old video can make you realize how far someone has come. We dug up a clip of Wilson’s first Stagecoach performance in 2022. In it, she sings “Straight Up Sideways” to a midday crowd that’s… well, a lot smaller than what she’s used to now.

It’s a stark contrast to the massive main stage crowd she’ll be entertaining when she closes out day two of Stagecoach 2026 under the big lights.