Gretchen Wilson is proving that age is nothing but a number. While on the red carpet of the ACM Awards, the country music icon shared an empowering perspective that comes with being in her 50s and her appreciation for the life and career she’s built.
“I mean, I’m over 50 and I’m still out there working. I’m still relevant. I mean, life doesn’t get much better than this over 50,” she told Katie Austin, Country Now’s guest red carpet correspondent.
The hitmaker, who will turn 52 next month, isn’t shy about her age. In fact, she proudly embraces it. “I am one of those women that’s not afraid to say my age. I’ll be 52 in June and I have been my very best since I have become 50.”
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Wilson goes on to acknowledge that while she was certainly having fun in her younger years and living out the stories behind her songs, she was often too busy to stop and really take in all the great things happening around her. So as she
“It’s the wisdom that comes along with it and just knowing who you are and how to appreciate the good things that you have in life, I think it just comes pretty, it’s pretty fleeting when you’re young. You’re so busy, you’re not paying attention. You get to be here and you’re like, wow, I’ve got a really incredible life and I have a lot to be thankful for.”
If she could go back and give her younger self any kind of advice, she would say “You don’t have to be that rough on yourself. Take it easy, get more sleep, drink less. Lots of things.”
That being said, Wilson isn’t afraid to still have some fun and party, it just looks a bit different these days.
“I’ve heard other people say, ‘You and Big & Rich were the only artists that I know, even in the rock genre that literally live your songs. You’re living your music. And that hit me and I was like, wow, I think we really do,” she continued. “We have to slow down a little bit. And luckily, we did and we’re all grown up now. Everybody has kids that are growing up. It’s different. I mean, we can still get crazy, don’t get me wrong. We definitely still know how to party, but we doing it in a safer and better way now.”
It’s been over two decades since Gretchen Wilson’s music career soared thanks to her debut single, “Redneck Woman,” which spent six weeks at No. 1 and appears on her debut record, Here for the Party. The project sold more than five million copies and spawned three more top 5 hits including, “Homewrecker,” “When I Think About Cheatin’,” and the title track. She went from singing on songwriters’ demos and performing in local bars to signing her first record deal and rising to fame in her 30s.
An Honest Look Inside ‘The Masked Singer’
In the current phase of her career, Gretchen Wilson is still thriving and finding new avenues to explore with her music. She earned her most recent win on Season 13 of “The Masked Singer,” claiming the experience was the “Hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Throughout the show, her identity was hidden behind the elaborate sea-themed character known as “Pearl.” Wilson wowed both the audience and judges with eight standout performances before claiming the coveted Golden Mask Trophy in the finale.
“The costume’s heavy, hot, and you can’t even get a drink of water. There’s no place to even put a straw through the costume,” Wilson explained.
She then admits that the entire production was very tight-lipped and she didn’t even get to know the identities of her competitors until they were revealed to the world on TV.
“They keep it so quiet. I didn’t know until last night…I did not know them until I watched the show air live. That’s how secretive.”
New Opportunities Ahead
Now that this venture is over with, Wilson is preparing for all the other exciting things coming her way in 2025, including her role as the “Tour Manager” on the new singing competition series, The Road, with hosts Keith Urban and Blake Shelton.
Plus, she also revealed plans to re-release her first album, Here For The Party, in the “middle of the year.” Wilson will create brand-new collaborative renditions of her early tracklist featuring a slew of different guest artists on each song.
“I’ve got a lot of calls out and I’m hoping that my win last night will help with those calls…So yes, I have a very, very busy year.”
The post Gretchen Wilson Opens Up About Life At 50 And Her Toughest Challenge Yet—’The Masked Singer’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.