Lainey Wilson Celebrates Two More No. 1 Hits At Historic Bradley’s Barn

/by

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, Broken Bow Records’ Lee Adams, Trannie Anderson (BMI), Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston, Lainey Wilson (BMI), ASCAP’s Duane Hobson, Paul Sikes (ASCAP), Endurance Music Group’s Lauren Funk, BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville’s Shelley Hargis and Studio Bank’s Kari Barnhart. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

Lainey Wilson brought members of the music industry out to Mt. Juliet last week to celebrate her seventh and eighth chart-toppers, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” and “4x4xU,” with a special event at the historic Bradley’s Barn.

Pictured (L-R): One Riot’s Amy Patton, Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston, Reservoir’s John Ozier, Jon Decious (BMI), BMI’s Clay Bradley, Lainey Wilson (BMI), Studio Bank’s Kari Barnhart, Broken Bow Records’ Lee Adams and BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville’s Shelley Hargis. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

Originally established in the mid-1960s by Country Music Hall of Fame member Owen Bradley, the studio was converted from a horse barn into a cutting-edge recording facility. It quickly became a creative haven for legends like Merle Haggard, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, J.J. Cale and more—helping shape the Nashville sound. After a fire destroyed the original barn in 1980, it was rebuilt in 1984 and continued to serve as a creative space for the Bradley family. Today, Owen’s great-grandchildren, John and Lillian Grace Bradley, have updated the space to host events and live music, preserving its legacy for a new generation.

Hosted by BMI and ASCAP, the event welcomed guests to explore country music artifacts. The parking lot was filled with 4×4 trucks in a nod to Wilson’s hit “4x4xU.”

Pictured (L-R): Red Light Management’s Mandelyn Monchick, Jon Decious, Lainey Wilson and BMI’s MaryAnn Keen. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

After a special welcome from BMI’s Clay Bradley, the company’s MaryAnn Keen led the program, beginning with a celebration of “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.” Wilson was joined onstage by co-writers Trannie Anderson and Paul Sikes, with tributes from ASCAP’s Duane Hobson, Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston, Endurance Music Group’s Lauren Funk and BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville’s Shelley Hargis.

Sikes shared a personal moment, saying his father had come to town for the celebration. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for his support,” he said. “Lainey is a generational talent. I’m honored to be a small part of that.”

Anderson reflected on her journey during her speech. “I moved to Nashville 10 years ago in June. My dream was to figure out some way to write songs full time,” she said. “Having a couple No. 1s under my belt, with one of my best friends in the entire world, is bigger than I ever dreamed.”

Bradley’s Barn. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

The celebration continued with “4x4xU,” which had earned ACM nominations that very morning for Song of the Year and Visual Media of the Year. Wilson took the stage with co-writer Jon Decious, who gave a shoutout to fellow co-writer Aaron Raitiere. In Raitiere’s absence, Decious presented Wilson and Red Light Management’s Mandelyn Monchick with matching jerseys—designed by Raitiere after they wrote the song—as a symbol of their belief in its success from the beginning.

Joining the celebration were Sony Music Publishing’s Gaston, Reservoir’s John Ozier, One Riot’s Amy Patton and Broken Bow Records’ Lee Adams.

Sponsored by Studio Bank, the event also featured a special donation presentation from Kari Barnhart on behalf of Wilson and her co-writers to support Wilson’s Heart Like A Truck charitable fund, which champions causes that aim to change lives and celebrate resilience.

Decious was also honored with a custom Taylor 210e DLX guitar to mark his first No. 1 as a BMI songwriter. When he spoke, he thanked his family, team and village, and joked, “I don’t know what goes into making a No. 1 record, but I’m glad y’all know,” drawing laughter from the crowd. “To get to celebrate this song with everyone who is family to me is like a movie. Thank you.”

To close the celebration, Wilson offered heartfelt thanks to her collaborators and supporters.

“I could not have hand picked a better team of people to be in my life,” said the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year. “Y’all are more than just team members. Y’all are family. A lot of people say don’t mix business and pleasure, but that just ain’t how we roll. We just can’t help it, because we fight for each other when it’s family involved.”

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s John Nix Arledge, Trannie Anderson, Lainey Wilson, Paul Sikes and MusicRow’s LB Cantrell. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s John Nix Arledge, Jon Decious, Lainey Wilson and MusicRow’s LB Cantrell. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

LB Cantrell
Latest posts by LB Cantrell (see all)