Who Is Lainey Wilson, The Country Music Star Making Her TV Debut On Yellowstone Season 5?
The "Yellowstone" universe has a very intimate connection to the country music industry. Not only does the show feature new music from up-and-coming artists on a regular basis, but it employs them in front of the camera quite frequently, too. Ryan Bingham, who plays Walker on the series, has been around since Season 1, Episode 5, "Coming Home." And as most people know by now, country music super-partners Faith Hill and Tim McGraw starred in the "1883" spinoff.
Now, it's Lainey Wilson's turn. She's a Louisiana native, but she's been a resident of Nashville — the country music capital of the world — for over a decade. The early years of her career were difficult ones, but after persevering through her biggest challenges, things started to take off for her a couple of years ago. She's passionate about her music but excited to try something new on "Yellowstone." And fans of the show are going to be seeing a lot more of her in the near future.
She's an award-winning musician who's excited to dip her toe in the acting pool
Lainey Wilson has been determined to make it big in the country music industry from an early age. She was writing her first songs as young as nine and started playing guitar a couple of years later. She moved to Nashville straight out of high school and struggled for years, living out the starving artist stereotype until she finally signed a deal with a major record label in 2018.
Since then, she's won three Academy of Country Music Awards and two Country Music Association Awards. Her single "Things a Man Oughta Know" hit number one on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Songs chart in 2021. If you're a loyal "Yellowstone" fan, you've at least heard her voice before. No less than three of her songs have been featured on what she considers "the coolest/most popular cowboy show of all time," an honor she is very thankful for (via Wide Open Country).
Soon enough, fans of the show will be able to put a face to the songs. Wilson has already appeared in the Season 5 debut, portraying a character named Abby, and it looks like that won't be her only stint on the show. According to Daily Express, show creator Taylor Sheridan has created a special reoccurring guest role just for her. "I'm so grateful for the opportunity to not only step outside my comfort zone and explore acting but to share more of my music on such an incredible platform," she told the online publication, "especially one that fans eagerly look to for music discovery."