'American Idol' and 'The Voice' rejected Lainey Wilson seven times — now even Luke Bryan picks up when she calls
Lainey Wilson won the 'Entertainer of the Year' award for the second consecutive year at the 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards this weekend. She also took home trophies for 'Album of the Year' for her critically acclaimed 'Whirlwind,' 'Female Artist of the Year' for the third time in a row, and 'Artist-Songwriter of the Year' at the prestigious awards. However, a few years back, Wilson was not even considered cut out for 'American Idol' or 'The Voice.' The 'Yellowstone' actress was rejected seven times on ABC and NBC's talent shows, respectively. “I felt like this was wrong, but you also tried out for American Idol?” Jenna Bush Hager from 'Today with Hoda & Jenna' asked. “Oh, I tried out for anything that would take me,” Wilson confirmed while appearing on the coveted segment last year in June.
She affirmed to have converted her negatives into positives. “Somehow just kind of like turned it into a ‘yes’ in a weird way,” Wilson explained to the co-host. “I never would have had the opportunity if it was always going to be a no. And that’s a little crazy, but you’ve got to be a little crazy to do this,” she said while handling Hager's inquiry about facing rejections. “I do believe that timing is everything,” the Grammy winner added, as reported by American Songwriter. Ironically, she was invited on 'The Voice' in 2024 for a special performance of her hit single 'Hang Tight Honey' during the finale. The song debuted at number 13 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. In an exclusive with Entertainment Tonight, the country star revealed that she didn't even make it to the blind auditions during the early days of her career.
Similarly, the multi-award-winning artist was invited on 'American Idol' during the season 21 finale in 2023. She performed the smash hit track 'Save Me' with Jelly Roll. ”I took the long way around, but I finally made it on American Idol. I never made it through. I never made it past the first round,” she expressed after her rousing stage appearance on the talent show, as per Country Countdown USA. Wilson has since found a close friend in Judge Luke Bryan. During an interview with CMT Hot 20, the 'Watermelon Moonshine' singer revealed that despite not getting any "call backs" from producers back then, Bryan "now answers her calls at any time."
“Luke has become a dear friend of mine; he really has,” she told me. “He’s a cheerleader of mine, and he’s somebody I could go to — I could call him, and it does not matter what time of day, and he would answer the phone. He’s a good dude.” Bryan also acknowledged supporting Wilson and, in particular, becoming close to her partner, retired NFL star Delvin "Duck" Hodges.
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“I mean, anytime I’ve been around Lainey,” the 'Country Girl' hitmaker explained, “she’s just kind of one of the boys and one of the girls, you know? She’s just a great person to be around, and I’ve started to spend a little more time with her boyfriend, Duck. He and I chat a couple of times a week. So, yeah, we’re all family now,” he told ABC News Radio.
