Every captivating Western benefits from a powerful soundtrack, and Lainey Wilson's songs were an ideal choice for the Yellowstone series, thanks to their authentic charm and captivating vocals. This was evident even before she took on an acting role in the show.
Lainey Wilson's Connection to Yellowstone
"[Showrunner] Taylor Sheridan, he called, and we had become friends after he had put a couple of songs in the show," Wilson recalled in a July 2024 TODAY appearance. "And I realized just how beneficial it was to have music in that show because people were coming to my show being like, 'I found you through the Yellowstone soundtrack.'" She made her acting debut in the drama series in 2022.
The show follows Kevin Costner's John Dutton III, the owner of the family-owned Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, who would do anything to uphold his family's legacy. Wilson delivered a scene-stealing performance as a charming country singer who crossed paths with some of the cowboys at Dutton Ranch.
Wilson has since become one of the biggest names in the country scene, partially thanks to her songs in Yellowstone as well as in Twisters, Fire Country, and 9-1-1.
Lainey Wilson as Abby in Yellowstone
Wilson played Abby in Season 5 of Yellowstone. Showrunner Taylor Sheridan created the recurring character with Wilson in mind: Like the actress who plays her, Abby is a talented country singer with dreams of making it big one day.
Read also: How Lainey Wilson stays in shape
She appeared in four Season 5 episodes as the singer, who struck up a romance with rancher heartthrob Ryan (Ian Bohen).She also debuted two new singles by performing the tracks in Yellowstone episodes.
"Taylor Sheridan told me… 'I want to create a character specifically for you, and I want you to sing your music and kind of be yourself, but go by a musician named Abby,'" Wilson revealed on TODAY. "I said, 'Well, you know, I've never acted a day in my life.'"
Wilson continued, "And [Sheridan] said, 'Well, most musicians that I work with, without even knowing it, they're actors and actresses because, at times, you got to stand up on that stage. And maybe you just lost somebody the night before, maybe you're going through a breakup - maybe, who knows?' But you got to hide all these feelings when you get up on that stage because it's not about you."
Lainey Wilson's Songs Featured on Yellowstone
In total, Wilson had seven songs that appeared on Yellowstone.
Wilson's first song for the series was her 2018 song "Workin' Overtime"; it was heard during the Season 2 premiere.
Read also: The Career of Chandra Wilson
Wilson's "Straight Up Sideways" and "Small Town Girl" appeared in Season 3.
In Season 5 of Yellowstone, "Hold My Halo," "Watermelon Moonshine," "Smell Like Smoke," and "New Friends" all earned features. The four tracks all eventually appeared on Wilson's fourth album, Bell Bottom Country, which was released in October 2022.
A Closer Look at Lainey Wilson's Yellowstone Tracks
"Workin' Overtime"
Wilson's first Yellowstone feature was in the Season 2 premiere ("A Thundering") when her single "Workin' Overtime" was integrated into the episode. The track played in the bar when Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) let a furious bull loose.
Wilson originally released "Workin' Overtime" as a single on her self-titled 2018 EP.
"Straight Up Sideways"
The Yellowstone collaborations didn't end there: Wilson's "Straight Up Sideways" landed in a Season 3 episode. The high-energy rock track was the perfect sonic backdrop to the thrilling rodeo barrel race between Mia (Eden Brolin) and Laramie (Hassie Harrison) in Season 3, Episode 6 ("All for Nothing").
Read also: Weight Loss Guide Andalusia, AL
Wilson originally released "Straight Up Sideways" on her 2021 album Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'.
"Small Town, Girl"
Wilson's Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' track "Small Town, Girl" also earned a feature in Season 3 of Yellowstone. She made her acting debut in the Season 5 premiere ("One Hundred Years is Nothing") - which aired a month after the October 2022 release of Bell Bottom Country.
"Smells Like Smoke"
Wilson debuted her 2022 single "Smells Like Smoke" in Season 5, Episode 3 ("Tall Drink of Water"), premiering the track as Abby at one of the show's watering holes, Crystal Bar.
Wilson soon added "Smell Like Smoke" to the track list of Bell Bottom Country.
"New Friends"
Wilson debuted another new song - her 2022 single "New Friends" - in Season 5, Episode 4 ("Horses in Heaven"). The track played in the background of the Deerfield Club when Yellowstone's Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) and Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) met up for drinks and flirtatious banter.
"Who tuned in for Yellowstone Episode 4??" Wilson captioned a November 2022 Instagram post with a clip from the scene. "Surprise! I had another new song hiding in tonight's episode when Jamie and Sarah were flirting at the bar. 'New Friends' comes out at midnight CT and y'all can hear it on my album Bell Bottom Country!"
"Watermelon Moonshine"
Wilson released "Watermelon Moonshine" as the lead single from Bell Bottom Country in August 2022.
She later performed the track in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 6 ("Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and You") when Abby and her band played in the Yellowstone Ranch arena. The episode helped the infectious song become a certified chart climber and one of Wilson's most beloved hits.
"Hold My Halo"
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 6 ("Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and You") is a must-watch for Wilson fans because she performed two original songs in the episode.
Lainey Wilson's Rise to Fame
Lainey Denay Wilson (born May 19, 1992) is an American country singer-songwriter. She performed at an early age, before going to Nashville to pursue a career as a country performer. In 2014, she released her first album on Cupit, followed by a second on Lone Chief in 2016. Wilson secured a publishing deal and later released an extended play (EP) in 2019 which included the song "Things a Man Oughta Know". Wilson has received nine Country Music Association Awards, including winning their top honor Entertainer of the Year in 2023.
Lainey Wilson was raised in Baskin, Louisiana, a town of 250 people. Her father, Brian, was a farmer while her mother, Michelle, was a schoolteacher. She also has a sister, Janna. She became interested in music at a young age. Her family often listened to classic country music by Buck Owens and Glen Campbell. "Country music for me and my family, it was more than music. At age nine, she attended a performance of the Grand Ole Opry and was drawn to the music. "I just remember looking up there, being like, ‘Man, I wanna do that'," she recalled. Wilson's father taught her a couple of chords and she was soon writing songs by her pre-teen years. In 2006, she released an extended play (EP) on Myspace titled Country Girls Rule. In high school, Wilson took a job impersonating Hannah Montana. Often booking her own shows, she performed as Hannah Montana at birthday parties, fairs, and festivals across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, even once performing for child cancer patients at St. Wilson graduated from high school and moved to Nashville in August 2011.
She first lived in a camper trailer outside of a recording studio in Nashville. The studio owner paid for Wilson's water and electricity to help make ends meet. In 2021, Wilson said that her early years in Nashville were difficult: "It taught me that this thing was not going to be easy. It taught me perseverance." For several years, Wilson played a variety of small shows and worked on her songwriting. In 2014, she released a self-titled album on the Cupit label. It was followed in 2016 by Tougher, on the Lone Chief label. The project garnered an audience and made the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. In 2018, she released her second EP, a self-titled collection that was self-released. It led to her signing a publishing deal with Sony/ATV in 2018.
In 2018, Wilson signed a major-label recording contract with the BBR Music Group. Her first major-label release was her third EP Redneck Hollywood (2019). Her debut major label single was also released in 2019: "Dirty Looks". Off the Record UK praised the EP, highlighting Wilson's songwriting and the production from producer Jay Joyce.
In August 2020, the BBR label issued Wilson's next single to radio: "Things a Man Oughta Know". The track gained heavy media attention from sites like YouTube, Apple Music, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and Pandora. By 2021, "Things a Man Oughta Know" became her breakout single, reaching number one on Billboard Country Airplay and number three on Hot Country Songs. It was included on her third studio album Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' (2021). The disc was her first full-length album issued on BBR and contained 12 tracks. It was her second to reach the Billboard country albums chart, peaking at number 40. The disc received positive reviews.
Wilson received a leading nine nominations at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2023, winning five including the top honor Entertainer of the Year. She was the first woman to win Entertainer of the Year since Taylor Swift in 2009.
Personal Life
In 2022, Wilson's father, Brian Wilson, experienced severe health issues including a stroke and a fungal infection which resulted in the removal of his left eye. This all occurred while she was filming her first season on Yellowstone. Wanting to be closer to him, she considered quitting the show. However, her father encouraged her to continue filming regardless of his health outlook.
A video of her performing at a concert spread very quickly on the platform. As a result of the angle of the camera and the leopard print pants Wilson was wearing, users felt the video was very flattering to the size and shape of her buttocks. The resulting trend saw users posting additional videos, pictures, and comments expressing admiration for Wilson's figure. For her part, Lainey acknowledged the trend and has largely responded to it with good humor.
In May 2023, Wilson was confirmed to be in a relationship with former NFL quarterback Devlin "Duck" Hodges. Wilson later revealed in an interview with The Bobby Bones Show that she and Hodges had been dating for over two years prior to the public knowing about it. Both Hodges and Wilson support the Pittsburgh Steelers, because Hodges used to play quarterback for them.
tags: #Lainey #Wilson #Yellowstone #song