Lainey Wilson, the 33-year-old country singer from Louisiana, has become a household name thanks to her role in the hit series Yellowstone and her chart-topping music. But her path to stardom was far from glamorous, as revealed in a new Netflix documentary.
Raised in a small town of just 170 people, Wilson grew up with a farmer father and a schoolteacher mother. Her family's love for country artists like Buck Owens and Glen Campbell sparked her passion for music, and by her pre-teen years she was already writing her own songs. At 14, she released her first EP.
During high school, Wilson took on an unusual job: impersonating Miley Cyrus's alter ego, Hannah Montana. She performed at birthday parties, fairs and festivals across Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, and even sang for child cancer patients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Speaking about the experience, Wilson said Miley Cyrus "absolutely loves" the fact that she impersonated her.
In August 2011, Wilson moved to Nashville to chase her music dream, initially living in a camper trailer outside a recording studio. The studio owner helped her by covering her water and electricity bills. She released her self-titled debut album in 2014, but it was her appearance in season five of Yellowstone that truly changed everything. Playing the role of Abby, she told Express.co.uk that having her music featured in the show was "wild" and that it connected her voice to her face.
Filming the series was emotionally tough, as her father Brian was in hospital with doctors telling the family to say goodbye. Wilson soldiered on, and thankfully her father recovered.
On the personal front, Wilson has been engaged to former NFL quarterback Devlin "Duck" Hodges since February 2025. The couple, who confirmed their relationship in May 2023 after dating for over two years, announced their engagement with the caption "4x4xU forever", a nod to a track from her album Whirlwind.
