Tracy Lawrence Shocked by DJ Telling Lainey Wilson, “You’re Just Not Good”

Lainey Wilson certainly got the last laugh. The Louisiana native has clearly found her stride and has been almost ubiquitous in the music scene over the last couple of years. She recently released her impressive fifth studio album Whirlwind this past Friday. With each new release, her music only gets better, and watching her career grow over the years has been a joy because she has certainly earned it through sheer determination and hard work.

Lainey lived in a camper for several years when she first moved to Nashville. She spent over a decade working tirelessly to realize her dreams before finally hitting it big. Throughout her journey, plenty of people tried to discourage her from continuing with music.

On an episode of Tracy Lawrence’s TL’s Road House podcast from 2022, Lainey recounted a visit to a radio station with a country DJ that didn’t go as she hoped. She shared, “We went to this one radio station, we walk in, you know, I’ve got my guitar on my back. We’re about to go in there, play him some music. And of course, you know, he made us wait in the foyer for about 45 minutes to show us who’s boss.”

She continued, “Then we go up to his room and he said, ‘You should’ve just left your guitar in the car. I don’t want you to play for me.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m gonna fight this man at some point. We gonna fight, we gonna wad up.'”

The DJ insisted on hearing her music through his outdated equipment, which had terrible sound quality. After listening to her song “Dirty Looks” twice, he bluntly told her she was “just not good.” Lainey recalled, “He listens to it twice, and then he leans up out of his, you know, big ‘ol relaxing looking chair, he said ‘Lainey, you’re just not good.’ I knew you would be shocked! And he said, ‘I hope you don’t get real upset when you leave here and start crying and stuff.’ That’s what he told me.”

Tracy Lawrence was left in total shock, his jaw dropping. But Lainey handled it like a champ, standing her ground and keeping her composure. She leaned across his desk and declared, “Out of the 10 years I’ve been in Nashville, you telling me that ain’t sh*t. Period. If anything, it just makes me want it that much worse.”

That confidence and determination are exactly what make Lainey so admirable. And indeed, she has the last laugh. If that DJ is still on the radio, he’s undoubtedly playing her music now, as she has seven #1 hits to her name.

You can watch a clip of this anecdote, and it’s highly recommended: Dirty Looks video.

Maybe Lainey should have played him “Middle Finger” too: Middle Finger video.

And for those who are interested, the full podcast episode with Tracy Lawrence is available here: Full podcast episode.

Source: Whiskey Riff