Watch: Lainey Wilson reveals what she wrote in a letter to Tim McGraw

Lainey Wilson revealed what she wrote in a letter to Tim McGraw when she was in high school.

Lainey told her manager, Mandelyn Monchick, that the 2026 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, “grew up right down the road from me,” in a clip from Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool, a documentary that is now available to stream on NZ Netflix. “I wrote him a letter when I was in high school, too.

“‘Dear Mr. Tim McGraw,’” Lainey read the letter aloud in a clip shared on Instagram, occasionally pausing with a laugh.

“‘My name is Lainey Wilson from Franklin Parish, Baskin, Louisiana. I am 18 years old and have just entered my first semester at Louisiana Delta Community College of Monroe to pursue a nursing degree. I have been writing songs since I was 9 years old. When you listen to my CD, I want you to know that this is a sample of what I write. I have many others and they are just as good.’ Oh, humble!

‘Please consider meeting with me and my family. Singing, writing and performing are the most important things in my life. All I need is the opportunity, and I can do the rest. Sincerely, Lainey Wilson.’”

That letter now appears on display in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails exhibit opened in July 2025. Lainey mentioned the letter to Tim McGraw - which, “clearly, he never got” - in an interview with iHeartCountry at the time. “Honestly, I should give it to him now,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll tell you this, just going up and down here [viewing th exhibit], getting to read all these little things and seeing how a lot of these are like little steps, and all like the big steps in between, it seems like the stars have had to align over and over and over again. ...Even though this tells a big story, I think that there’s still so much left of the story, and that excites me.”

Lainey also shared a glimpse into her Louisiana upbringing, the time she got paid in free hot dogs, life with fiancé Devlin “Duck” Hodges (including the proposal), family plans, her mental health journey, major career milestones and more throughout the documentary. Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool “follows Lainey as she redefines what it means to be a modern country star, proving that staying true to yourself can lead to major success. The film captures a pivotal moment in her career, exploring the country icon’s personal journey and chronicling her struggles and triumphs as she captivates fans on stage across the country,” per Netflix.

“I couldn’t be more excited that this documentary is going to be on Netflix,” Lainey said in a statement when the documentary was announced earlier this year. “This was such a special project to make, and I hope that folks who watch it see that no dream is too big and that staying true to who you are will always lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.”

Written by iHeart.com and republished with edits & permission

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Hear Lainey Wilson, Tim McGraw and more of your favourite country artists on iHeartCountry NZ by using the player below.