Lainey Wilson Brought Her Dad (And Good Luck Charm) To Last Night’s CMAs

Lainey Wilson won big at the 56th Annual Country Music Awards last night, but the star really wanted to shine a spotlight on her father, Brian Wilson. The Baskin, Louisiana, native grew up working with her father, a fifth generation farmer, and in a recent interview told Southern Living how much she learned from her dad growing up. "Daddy is the hardest working person I know. He taught me my entire life how to pull up my bootstraps and tell it like it is with grace," said Lainey.

When she took the stage to accept her well-deserved Female Vocalist of the Year award last night, she paid tribute to Brian Wilson. “I ain’t talkin' about the Beach Boy, I'm talkin' about the cowboy," she explained. Wilson went on to explain that having her father with her at the awards show was particularly poignant because he had recently been in the hospital. “A few months ago my daddy got real sick and we thought we were gonna lose him,” she told the audience, The Boot reports. “He spent two months in ICU, he’s walking the carpet with me tonight. He’s here. This one right here’s for my daddy.”

Before the CMAs, the “Heart Like a Truck” singer had shared that her father had fallen ill due to an infection caused by diabetic ketoacidosis. “We didn’t think that he was gonna make it,” she said. “He spent two months in ICU and a few weeks in a rehab facility. But he has been working really hard to get to the point where he can walk me on the carpet.”

Now that he’s on the mend, theYellowstone actress’  father was in the audience as the six-time nominee took home both the Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year honors. He was also able to watch his daughter perform “Wait In The Truck” with Hardy at the show.

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