Lainey Wilson Honors Her "Hero" Randy Travis Onstage in Oklahoma

Country may be cool again thanks to Lainey Wilson, but the 'Watermelon Moonshine' star wouldn't be where she is today had it not been for the work of another country hitmaker: Randy Travis.

During a show at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma on Saturday (March 8), Wilson brought the '90s country icon onstage to let him and fans know the impact he's had on her career.

“I want to introduce to the stage one of my heroes, one of the reasons I fell in love with country music, a dear friend of mine now,” Wilson told the crowd. “Y’all give it up for the one, the only, the country music legend Randy Travis.”

Wheeled onto the stage by his wife Mary, Travis quickly took the singer's hand to be positioned center stage. “Front and center, right where he belongs,” Wilson said.

In 2013, Travis suffered a stroke, the effects of which have left him mostly confined to a wheelchair. A subsequent aphasia diagnosis has made verbal communication difficult for the artist, as well.

However, nothing has stopped him from supporting Wilson on her rise to the top

“They come to my shows all the time; anytime I’m anywhere near, y’all show up,” Wilson said to Travis onstage, sharing with the audience: “And when you have Randy Travis side stage — first of all, that’s a little nerve-wracking. I ain’t going to lie to you."

Visibly moved in his presence, Wilson continued, telling Travis, “But also, it makes me feel like I can really do this. It makes me feel like I got a place in this industry.”

"It was a pleasure to be invited on stage by Lainey Wilson!" the 'Forever and Ever, Amen' artist shared on social media alongside a video of the exchange. "Thank you for the honor."

Wilson is currently in the midst of her Country's Cool Again Tour, which will soon see her take on Australia until the end of March.

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