The 2026 CMA Fest was full of surprises, but there was also — in a way — a dream that came true.

As Tim McGraw performed on the third night of CMA Fest, he was joined by someone who has admired him for years, but whose path had never had the privilege of crossing his before… until now.

While singing his 1995 hit “I Like It, I Love It,” McGraw brought out Lainey Wilson after the first chorus for a lively duet of the iconic tune.

For Lainey Wilson, this was particularly meaningful, as she had written McGraw when she was 18 and was still trying to get her foot in the door of the country music scene.

All these years later, they were able to meet and perform together as peers at the top of the country music industry.

Watch Lainey Wilson Perform With Tim McGraw

Writing on social media, McGraw posted, “CMA fest was on fire! Big thank you to [Lainey Wilson] for joining us for a song! Fun night!”

As recently as August of 2025, when the “Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails” exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame had recently opened, Lainey revealed that she had never met Tim McGraw.

This revelation was shared as she looked at a letter on display at the museum that she penned to McGraw when she was 18.

Now, at the age of 34, she is one of the top country artists in the industry.

However, back in 2010, when she wrote this letter, she was just starting school for nursing, studying at Louisiana Delta Community College.

In the letter, she asked McGraw for help getting into the country music industry, with her family feeling they could “trust someone like” McGraw since he’s a fellow Louisiana artist.

“We could use some in site [sic] on the choices that we need to make in order to propel my career the smartest way possible,” she wrote to McGraw.

Concluding her letter to McGraw, Lainey said, “Singing, writing, and performing are the most important things in my life. All I need is the opportunity, I can do the rest.”

Sixteen years later, Lainey has a Grammy, and has won Entertainer of the Year twice from both the ACM Awards and the CMA Awards, among numerous other awards and honors.

In a diary entry penned in 2009, which can be seen on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Lainey wrote the following:

“My dream is to become a country singer/songwriter. I know I can do it. I just have to have faith. I passed a church yesterday and a sign read, ‘Living by faith.’”

After a performance with McGraw at CMA Fest, it’s safe to say that she’s fulfilled that dream.

Watch the Lainey Wilson and Tim McGraw perform together on June 6, with McGraw introducing Lainey at the 1:04 mark, here:

Watch the performance from another angle, here:

Beyond performing with McGraw at CMA Fest, Lainey also sang with Christian artist Brandon Lake in the morning of Sunday, June 7; and she also performed with bluegrass artist Molly Tuttle.