Lainey Wilson Pauses Concert To Recognize Long-Time Fan In The Front Row: “You Were There When Nobody Was”

Lainey Wilson evidently doesn’t forget a face.

It may seem like Lainey Wilson became a country music superstar overnight, but that’s simply not the case. Her story from struggle to stardom is an inspiring one, and Lainey never gave up hope… even as she was living in a trailer in the parking lot of a recording studio for many years when she first moved to Nashville.

That being said, no one has had more of a meteoric rise in the past couple of years than Lainey Wilson. She took home the “Entertainer of the Year” award at the CMAs in 2023 and 2025, and also was awarded the  “Female Vocalist of the Year” in back-to-back years (2024 & 2025).

In the summer of 2024, she released an album that was fittingly named Whirlwind. Wilson has been open about how her life certainly feels like its been a whirlwind as of late, after she spent over 10 years trying to break through in the industry. Now, she’s very well one of the main faces of country music, and the recognition – along with some career highlights – has been greatly appreciated by Lainey.

And she’s not ever going to forget where she came from, or the difficult path that she took to get where she is today. That was on full display during a recent concert of Lainey Wilson’s in Los Angeles, California. The “4x4xU” singer was right in the middle of her set when she looked down and saw a fan of hers… one that she recognized as one of her “day one” followers.

Lainey immediately interacted with the fan, asking:

“How far did you drive to get here? You didn’t drive? Did you fly? Lord have mercy, it is good to see you.”

After checking in to see how far the fan had traveled to get there, Wilson explained to the audience how much this one particular fan meant to her:

“Y’all we go back, I’m not even playing, my friend down here in the front, we go way back to… a long time ago. You were literally there when nobody was there.”

It was at that point that Lainey decided to get up from her seated position on stage and walk down to talk to her super fan face-to-face. The country music superstar gave the fan a hug, and the two reminisced on the days when Wilson wasn’t playing in front of crowds of thousands of people:

“Let’s just take a second. I’m gonna come hug your neck, first of all. I mean, from the beginning girl. Remember when we played that casino, and literally nobody was there? It was just you on the front row by the barricade and I was like, ‘My girl’s here, ayy.'”

@laineywilsonNothing makes my night more than seeing a familiar face in the crowd. It’s been quite a ride hasn’t it?! Thanks for hangin on tight with me

♬ original sound – Lainey Wilson

What a beautiful moment that only music can provide.The post Lainey Wilson Pauses Concert To Recognize Long-Time Fan In The Front Row: “You Were There When Nobody Was” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.