Lainey Wilson Recalls How a Dream About Her Papaw Gave Her the Push She Needed to Move to Nashville

June 3, 2024 3:33 pm

American Songwriter participates in affiliate programs with various companies. Links originating on American Songwriter’s website that lead to purchases or reservations on affiliate sites generate revenue for American Songwriter . This means that American Songwriter may earn a commission if/when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links.

Lainey Wilson seemingly burst onto the country music scene after the release of her 2022 album Bell Bottom Country. However, that was her third full-length album. She started writing songs when she was nine years old and moved to Nashville nearly 13 years ago. Wilson has been on the grind for more than a decade. Her road to stardom started with a dream and an undying work ethic.

Videos by American Songwriter

In the new ABC News documentary special, Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country, the “Watermelon Moonshine” singer talked in-depth about her life and career. She told ABC News correspondent Robin Roberts about her upbringing in Baskin, Louisiana, her family, and finding her way in country music. During their conversation, she revealed that a dream helped her decide to move to Music City.

A Dream Pushed Lainey Wilson to Move to Nashville

Moving away from one’s hometown is always a big step. However, moving away from a small town like Baskin, Louisiana to one of the biggest cities in the country makes it seem like an even bigger step. Lainey Wilson revealed that she was on the fence about taking that leap for a while.

“It was 2011, I had not made the move to Nashville just yet,” she recalled. “It was a very pivotal time in my life. I was going to college, dating the same ol’ boy I’d been seeing for years, and I had been praying a lot,” she added. “I’d been like, ‘Lord, you’ve got to show me. I need to see it vividly.’”

Then, Wilson got the answer she was waiting for. “I had a very vivid dream. My Papaw—my grandfather on my daddy’s side—showed up in my dream. He looked at me square in the face and he said, ‘Lainey, you’ve got to listen to me. You’re supposed to be in Nashville.’ I woke up and knew immediately that I had to make some changes,” she recalled.

Not long after that, Wilson loaded everything she had into a Flagstaff bumper pull camper trailer and moved to Nashville. The rest, as they say, is history.

Featured Image by Amy Sussman/Getty Images