Lainey Wilson has been in Nashville for around 13 years. She released her debut album, Tougher in 2016. However, she was chasing the dream of being a country music star for much longer than that. Before she pulled up stakes and moved to Music City, Wilson was a Hannah Montana impersonator who performed at nursing homes and children’s birthday parties. Recently, she recognized a fan whose birthday party she performed at years ago.
Videos by American Songwriter
Recently, the “Watermelon Moonshine” singer was performing a VIP acoustic set and hosting a Q&A session in Southaven, Mississippi. As she took the stage, she saw a familiar face. The video below captures the wholesome interaction.
“McKenzie, it’s good to see you!” Wilson said, pointing to a fan in the front row of the intimate crowd. “It’s good to see you too, Lainey!” said the emotional fan. An older woman spoke up saying, “You’re gonna make her cry again, Lainey, don’t do that.”
“You better not cry, I’m gonna start crying, too,” Wilson said before explaining to the rest of the crowd how she and McKenzie knew one another. “Y’all, McKenzie, I did her fourth birthday party. I impersonated Hannah Montana, I’m not even playin’,” she said. “I feel old,” she added before turning to the longtime fan once again and saying, “I love you. Good to see you.”
Lainey Wilson’s Days Impersonating Hannah Montana
Earlier this year, Lainey Wilson sat down with Glamour to reflect on her career. During the conversation, she revealed that she was a Hannah Montana impersonator in her teens. “In high school, my job was impersonating Hanna Montana,” she said. “I would do four or five birthday parties a weekend. Sometimes I would open up as Lainey Wilson and then I’d run backstage and change into my Hannah Montana wig and do my 15-song karaoke show,” she explained.
“I’ve been grinding since I was nine years old. I needed to prove to myself and my family that I’m really serious about this,” she explained. “I played every honky tonk talent search, every kind of Colgate County Showdown, you name it,” she added.
Featured Image by MediaPunch/Shutterstock
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