Lainey Wilson Tells Fans How She Went From Broke In A Camper Trailer To The Top Of The Charts

Lainey Wilson is one of the most popular figures in the world of country music right now. However, her road to stardom wasn’t always an easy one. Matter of fact, it was downright tough.

Wilson’s ‘Whirlwind’ Journey

In a new interview, Wilson is talking about her “whirlwind” journey that saw her go from living in poverty in a camper trailer in Nashville to achieving country music success.

“It’s been a journey,” Wilson, 32, told The Associated Press. “I’ve been in Nashville for 13 years and I tell people I’m like, it feels like I got there yesterday, but I also feel like I’ve been there my whole life.”

Wilson moved to Nashville from the tiny 200-person town of Baskin, Louisiana, where the median income is $23,750. At the time, her goal was to pursue her country music dreams. Once she got there, Wilson lived in a camper trailer and hit countless open mic nights in the hopes of making it. For three years, however, she didn’t get very far.

Related: Lainey Wilson Opens ‘Bell Bottoms Up’ Bar In Nashville – ‘You Ain’t Ready For This’

Wilson Returns To Camper Trailer Location

In 2022, Wilson returned to the location of the camper trailer where she once lived. Being back there brought a sense of “sadness” to her.

“I feel a sense of hopefulness standing here, but I also feel a little sadness,” she told Good Morning America at the time. “There were a lot of dark days for me. I was very lonely. I didn’t know hardly anybody in town.”

“The winters were cold. I had to sleep in three or four jackets, three pairs of socks just to stay warm,” she explained. “When I look back, honestly, If I had known it was going to be this hard, I don’t know if I would go and do it again. And that sounds crazy, but it has been hard, but this is my only option.”

While appearing on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast last year, Wilson revealed that she “bummed” electricity, water, and Wi-Fi off her mentor’s studio just to get by. At one point, her propane tank ran out, her shower head broke, and her camper trailer flooded. This forced her to shower with a water hose.

Country music, like rock ‘n roll, isn’t always all fun and games.

“I remember I was sitting there showering and it was ankle-deep water, my propane was running out, so the water was cold. My shower head fell off, so I’m showering with a water hose,” she remembered. “I’m like, ‘You know what? This is some […], but whatever.'”

Related: Lainey Wilson Gives Credit To God After She Wins Entertainer Of The Year At ACM Awards

Wilson’s Difficult Early Career

Meanwhile, Wilson’s early career was filled with heartbreak.

“I think a lot of the rejection really just kind of made me want it that much more. I am hardheaded…I really am, and if you could sit down and talk to my parents, you would realize why I am the way that I am,” Wilson told Fox News earlier this year. “Both of them, when they have their mind made up, that’s it. And I’ve had my mind made up from the very beginning that I was going to do this.”

However, going through these hardships early on made Wilson the woman that she is today.

“I think it’s really just a part of my story. And I think the Lord kind of wanted me to live a little bit more life, so I could have more stories to tell, so I could relate to more people,” she said. “That’s what it’s about when you kind of zoom out and you think about all of this. It’s important to remember and realize, why are we doing this? And what are we doing this for?

“It’s just because we all want to feel something,” she added. ”And, I think, because of that rejection, I think people can relate to some of my stories.”

We’re so glad that Wilson was able to overcome her “dark days” to make her country music dreams come true. We can all learn a lot from her incredible story!