Lainey Wilson surprised fans when she brought Randy Travis out onstage with her during her March 8 show in Thackerville, Oklahoma. While sharing the stage with Travis, Wilson discussed how much he means to her. Earlier this week, Travis shared his gratitude alongside a video of their exchange on social media.
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The post’s caption was short but sweet. “It was a pleasure to be invited on stage by Lainey Wilson! Thank you for the honor,” the post read. The video showed Wilson bringing the country legend out and talking about how important he is to her and country music.
How Randy Travis Helped Lainey Wilson Make Country Cool Again
Wilson is at the forefront of a group of people who are working to make traditional country cool again. Nearly forty years ago, Travis was in the same position. When he released his debut album Storms of Life in 1986, he didn’t fit the popular country music world. At the time, many of the biggest artists preferred slick production and were adding pop elements into their music. At the same time, the “Urban Cowboy” movement was in full swing.
Artists like Travis, George Strait, and Alan Jackson didn’t fall in line with the popular sound. Instead, they made traditional-sounding country music. This led to Travis releasing hit after hit. “On the Other Hand” didn’t chart well in its initial 1985 release. However, when he re-released it as the lead single from Storms of Life in 1986 it went to No. 1 on the country chart. “Diggin’ Up Bones,” “Forever and Ever Amen” and a stack of other singles topped the charts as well.
Now, Wilson is among a new generation of artists who are taking up the torch of traditional-sounding country music and carrying it to the top of the charts. Without artists like Travis who stuck to their guns and went against the grain, that likely wouldn’t be the case.
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