Backstage at the CMAs: Lainey Wilson On Meeting Dolly Parton

Lainey Wilson had a night that she will never forget at the 57th Annual CMA Awards. She won several awards. Those including Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and the night's top honor: Entertainer of the Year.

When she came backstage, I asked Lainey about meeting and spending some quality time with the 1978 CMA Entertainer of The Year, Dolly Parton. The two got together at Dollywood last week. She told me, "Actually, when I went to Dollywood, and I hung out with her a little bit, I told her... I said the CMAs are around the corner. She said, 'I've won one a time or two.' I mean, Dolly, she's it. She's the one that I look to when I think about how to go about this business. She's never been scared to step outside the lines, to step outside the box. But at the same time she's completely true to herself and true to her story." Indeed, on Lainey's major label debut, 2021's Sayin' What I'm Thinkin', she had a song called "WWDD."  That stands for "What would Dolly do?"

She added, "I asked for some advice on how do you keep on going? And she said, 'You've got to keep going, and whatever you are affiliated with, make sure that you're passionate about it because at the end of the day, If you're not, people can read right through that.'"

Wilson concluded with a smile. "It's incredible, you know how everybody says don't meet your hero? Well, I'll tell you what, that's not Dolly Parton. She's someone I think everybody needs to strive to be."  And clearly, she's someone who anyone would be lucky to meet.

As we've reported, Lainey and Dolly have a new duet out now. "Mama He's Crazy" is available on the newly released A Tribute To The Judds.

As she celebrates her 31st birthday today (5/19), Lainey Wilson is the reigning Female Vocalist for the ACMs and the CMAs. She also won the ACM Album of the Year award for Bell Bottom Country, beating out albums by  Miranda Lambert and Luke Combs.

There is no doubt that Lainey is well on her way to becoming a country music superstar. She currently opens stadium shows for Luke Combs and gets a performance slot at the 2023 CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium in June in front of 65,000 fans worldwide.

As she celebrates her big day today (5/19), we count down what we believe are her six very best songs to date, with many more to come in the future.