Reba McEntire Invites Lainey Wilson to Become a Grand Ole Opry Member on ‘The Voice’ Finale Performance
Lainey Wilson reached a major country music milestone! After her killer performance of "Hang Tight Honey" during The Voice season 25 finale on Tuesday, May 21, she was presented with an invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by coach Reba McEntire.
Not only did she slay the tune and earned a huge honor, Lainey, 32, wowed with her incredible style. She wore her trademark bell bottom pants, paring them with a black bandeau top, matching blazer and her ever-present cowboy hat.
The "God Bless Texas" songstress is fresh off of taking home the coveted Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year trophies at the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 16.
For that event, Lainey ?went braless in red pantsuit with a glittering lapel, flared trousers and a matching cowboy hat while walking the red carpet and accepting her awards. During her performance that opened the show, the Louisiana native donned skintight red pants with lace-up sides while matching them with a red corset top.
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Lainey wasn't the only major country star to appear on The Voice's season 25 finale. Jelly Roll and Thomas Rhett also performed. Keith Urban sang his new hit "Messed Up as Me" on part one of the finale on Monday, May 20.
The "Country's Cool Again" singer revealed in May 2023 that she tried out for both The Voice and American Idol and never made it to Hollywood on either of the singing competitions.
After performing on Idol's season 21 finale, Lainey shared, “I tried out seven times. I took the long way around, but finally made it on American Idol. I never made it past the first round.” In the same interview, she said she also unsuccessfully auditioned for The Voice, although she didn't reveal when that took place.
American Idol judge Luke Bryan was shocked by Lainey's numerous rejections, telling Country Countdown USA in December 2023, “I didn’t know that. That was the first time I heard that. But I’ll go see my producers today and find out what happened. I’m glad she didn’t take the Idol letdown to heart. We don’t always get it right.”
Lainey's big break came in 2020 when she made her debut at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and her song "Things a Man Oughta Know" became a summer hit. She won her first Grammy in February 2024, taking home Best Country Album for Bell Bottom Country.
It came three months after Lainey won Entertainer of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards, along with four other trophies.
“This is all I’ve ever wanted to do, it’s the only thing I know how to do,” Lainey said through tears while accepting the night's biggest award. “It finally feels like country music is starting to love me back.”
