Lainey Wilson gets candid about her life in ‘Keepin’ Country Cool’ doc

New film 'shows how important relationships are' in Grammy winner's life

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Published Apr 25, 2026  •  Last updated 22 minutes ago  •  7 minute read

Lainey Wilson is telling her life story in in Netflix's "Keepin' Country Cool." Photo by CeCe Dawson /Red Light Management

Whenever Lainey Wilson hears people refer to her as being an “overnight success,” she’s always quick with a response. “I’ve been here 14 years … so, a 14-year overnight success,” the Louisiana native quips.

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After years of living in a trailer and playing to half-empty rooms in Nashville, Wilson, who started singing as a Hannah Montana impersonator, rocketed to stardom in 2020 with her first No. 1 country single, Things a Man Oughta Know.

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The song helped launch her on her way to 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, 12 Country Music Awards, a Grammy and nine No. 1 hits, including 4x4xU, Watermelon Moonshine and Heart Like a Truck. Wilson’s music also caught the ear of Taylor Sheridan and she landed the role of Abby on Season 5 of Yellowstone.

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Next month, Wilson, now 33, is up for seven ACMs, including entertainer of the year and single of the year for her hit Somewhere Over Laredo.

In Wilson’s early days as a struggling artist in Music City, she knew her desire to be a singer-songwriter trumped any other dream she could have had for her life. Singing in front of country music fans was something she’d imagined herself doing ever since her parents took her from Baskin, La., for a visit to the Grand Ole Opry when she was 9-years-old.

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“Even as a little girl, I remember thinking, ‘This dream is in my heart for a reason and it’s important to listen to that.’ I don’t know where that came from, other than the Lord himself,” Wilson says in a late-night video call from Arizona, where she was headlining Country Thunder.

The reigning CMA entertainer of the year spent the better part of a decade being an artist “you didn’t see coming,” but now she’s planning on making sure hers is a name music lovers won’t soon forget.

Lainey Wilson seen playing to a full house on the opening night of Bluesfest in Ottawa in July 2025. Photo by JULIE OLIVER /Postmedia

Wilson gives her audience an insight into her rocky rise to the top in the new documentary Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool, now streaming on Netflix. The deeply personal film covers her professional success and early struggles. It also shines a light on her relationship with former NFL player Devlin “Duck” Hodges, 30, who proposed in February 2025, her struggle with mental health and her desire to be a mother.

Her story, she says, is one viewers will connect with because her journey has been one of resilience and never giving up.

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“I know there are so many different people from all walks of life and we all talk different, look different and come from different places, but I hope people can find their story in mine,” she says. “The truth is we’re all just trying to get somewhere in life and we all want to be happy and healthy and I think this documentary shows how important relationships are in your life … I’m very proud to show that side of me.”

Lainey Wilson performs onstage during the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 16, 2024 in Frisco, Texas. Photo by Jason Kempin /Getty Images

Set to headline Stagecoach this weekend and perform stadium dates with Chris Stapleton this summer, Wilson is hard at work on the songs that will comprise her follow up to 2024’s Whirlwind LP. That record encapsulated the rapid change in her life. Her next one will do exactly the same thing.

“I feel like with the release of this documentary, I’m heading into another era where it feels like, what you see is what you get,” she says.

Below, Wilson spoke more about the new doc, her journey of freezing her eggs, her relationship and why she never gave up on her dreams.

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First of all, congrats on your seven ACM nominations. How does that feel?

“You know, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being nominated for any kind of award, much less the ACMs. I grew up watching the ACMs and dreaming about being a part of it. So it’s so cool. I got to be nominated alongside a lot of my friends this year. The women are whooping butt, and I love to see it.”

As you were revisiting your history for Keepin’ Country Cool, what did you learn about Lainey Wilson?

“I thought I had it all figured out, but as a songwriter and a storyteller, you keep learning things and discovering things about yourself … Making this documentary called for some soul searching … I’m proud for maybe being a little bit more honest with myself.”

Your story is also one of resilience and never giving up on your dreams.

“I think this documentary shows me going through some stuff and coming out the other side of it and always choosing to pull myself up by the bootstraps. But at the same time, it shows me being honest with myself about some things. That’s a scary thing … I hope people will be able to put themselves into the story and are learning something about themselves when they watch it.”

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I assumed you and Duck met when you were already famous. But you met him when you were broke. What did that relationship mean to you when you were still trying to make it as a singer-songwriter?

“It was wild. Duck was the guy who was in the van and trailer with us. At times, he would even sell the merch. He’s been on the ride with us, and I’ve been blessed by that. He’s been a soft place for me to land when I come off the road. I’d be lying if I said it was all glamorous, but Duck has always been my cheerleader and my best friend … It’s nice to be able to share things with people that I love and that I care about … I want my fans to know that I have really important people in my life who help me stay focused and remember what matters.”

You shine a light on your desire to be a mother and we see you at one point in the doc freezing your eggs. Why did you want to share that part of your story?

“People can make us feel like we have a short window to do things. Even when I got to Nashville, people said, ‘If you don’t make it in your 20s, you need to hang it up and move back home to Louisiana.’ I’m going to be 34 this year, and it is a dream of mine to be a mom and have a family. I just wanted other people to know that they can do it. There are ways that you can still pour your heart and soul into something and live your other dreams too.”

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The first time we spoke, you told me how you heard the word “no” a million times. How did you never give up?

“I always felt like I was supposed to be connecting with people and singing country songs, so surely the stars would align. There were moments I should have packed it up and said, ‘Maybe this isn’t my calling.’ There were these small moments that kept me going. Maybe I’d be playing a bar and only two people would be there, but those two people knew my songs. Or maybe there’d be a night where I’d get a bigger tip. Those would make me think, ‘I’m getting somewhere.'”

Lainey Wilson attends the Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool Nashville Special Screening on April 15, 2026. Photo by Terry Wyatt /Getty Images for Netflix

Do you ever worry about hitting your peak?

“100%. It never crossed my mind before I had success because I was just trying to get somewhere. But the truth is, I’m human. That fear creeps in, but I just say to myself, ‘No, no, no. I have more people to meet. More stories to tell.’ That fire that I had when I was living in my camper trailer back in 2011 for three years … I still feel that fire. Even right now. I’m working on new music and I’ve got more to do. That’s an exciting feeling.”

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In the doc, one of your early career milestones was getting free hotdogs for life after you performed at Daddy’s Dogs in Nashville. What did that mean to you?

“That was one of those moments where I felt like I had something I could brag about to my friends. I felt like I was getting somewhere (laughs). That was a moment for me before things started working. It was the middle of COVID and it was that season of life for me where I was worried that the tiny piece of ground I had covered was going to go completely away. I was literally willing to do anything for anybody just to do a show and get in front of people. That day, it was singing on top of an air conditioning unit at Daddy’s Dogs and I got a gold card for free hotdogs for the rest of my life. I’ll treat you to a hotdog next time you’re in Nashville.”

Singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson redefines what it means to be a country star in a new documentary charting her journey from dreamer to Grammy winner. Photo by Robby Klein /Disney

The first time we spoke, at the end I asked you what young Lainey would have thought of it all coming true and you said she would have believed it. But what if you never hit it big? Where would Lainey Wilson be tonight?

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“I would still probably be playing the Louisiana-Arkansas-Mississippi-Texas circuit like I did for years, and I’d still be writing music … I don’t know what that would look like. I might have a 9-to-5 job, but I know at the end of the day, I’d be coming home, picking up my guitar and telling a story of some sort. I can’t imagine my life without this. That’s why I know for a fact that I’m supposed to be here.”

Do you think about legacy?

“Yeah. No matter what you do, you put it out there into the world and people love it or hate it. But at the end of the day, it’s going to be there forever.”

Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool is now streaming on Netflix.

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Read More

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   Lainey Wilson's country music rise nothing short of a 'Whirlwind'

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   CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson admits lying to fiance Duck Hodges on first date

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   Lainey Wilson rules Academy of Country Music Awards again, Alan Jackson honoured

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