Lainey Wilson Got a Huge Johnny Cash Surprise at The Opry [VIDEO]

Lainey Wilson took the Opry stage to honor Johnny Cash this week, but she received a big honor of her own at the same time. The country music singer paid tribute to Cash as part of the Opry’s ongoing 100th anniversary celebration and, as Country Rebel shared in an Instagram carousel, the moment was extra-special for Wilson because of the instrument she played. Instead of strumming her own acoustic, the “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer got to play a guitar that belonged to Cash himself.

“This guitar ain’t just any old guitar,” Wilson told the crowd before performing. “This is Johnny Cash’s guitar. And I can’t believe that I’m getting to play it tonight.” She went on to deliver a stunning rendition of “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” one of Cash’s more recent releases from 2006.

Wilson Shared What the Special Moment Meant to Her

Getty

Being able to play Cash’s guitar clearly meant a lot to Wilson, and she shared those feelings with the Opry crowd. “These are those moments…when people say… ‘When did you think you made it?’ or ‘Have you had that feeling? Have you made it?’ I don’t have that feeling all the time,” Wilson said. “But being able to stand in this circle, and hold Johnny Cash’s guitar, makes me feel like I made it.”

After the crowd gave her a loud round of applause, Wilson compared the moment to another surprising music milestone: getting to hold Hank Williams’ guitar. “I felt like there [were] so many songs that were told through that guitar,” the singer said. “But I still felt like there were a lot of songs left in it.” She summed up her feelings with a very powerful statement: “It just feels like I’m holding the holy spirit.”

The Sky’s The Limit For The ‘Heart Like a Truck’ Singer

Getty

There’s no rest for the weary for Wilson, who had just a couple of days to prepare for her next appearance after the Opry show. The singer will perform at Barefoot Music Festival on Friday, June 20th, along with several other country music stars. Ahead of the appearance, 92.5 XTU posted a reel of Wilson playing a fun game related to her ever-growing catalog of songs.

In the video, the radio host called her a “future EGOT winner.” With a new film on the horizon and plenty of successes already under her belt that highly sought-after status isn’t outside the realm of possibility for Wilson someday.