Chely Wright
Encyclopedia
Richell Rene "Chely" Wright (pron; born October 25, 1970) is an American country music
artist and, starting in 2010, gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music
(ACM) named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive
". Two years later, her fourth album yielded her first number one single, the title track, "Single White Female
". Overall, Wright has released seven studio albums on various labels, and has charted more than fifteen singles on the country charts. As of May 2010, Wright's previous eight albums had sold over 1,000,000 copies in the United States. In May 2010, Wright became the first major country music performer to publicly come out
as gay. In television appearances and an autobiography, she cited among her reasons for publicizing her homosexuality a concern with bullying and hate crimes toward gays, particularly gay teenagers, and the damage to her life caused by "lying and hiding".
As a songwriter she has written songs that have been recorded by Brad Paisley
, Richard Marx
, Indigo Girls
, Mindy Smith
and Clay Walker
, among them Walker's top ten hit, "I Can't Sleep" that won her a BMI award. On May 4, 2010, Wright released both her memoir of being a closeted lesbian, Like Me, and her first album of new songs since 2005, Lifted Off the Ground.
, Wright grew up in a musical family in Wellsville, Kansas, a very small town with a population under 2,000. As presented in her autobiography, Like Me, two major factors driving her approach to life were her calling to be a country music performer, which she resolved upon as early as age four, and her realization, as early as age eight, that she was gay. (In Like Me, Wright variously terms herself a "homosexual", a "lesbian", and a "gay woman".)
As a toddler, Wright would sit in a great-grandmother's lap and rest her own hands on the great-grandmother's hands as the woman played piano. Also in these years, she began to seek out adult audiences to sing for. Piano lessons followed. Starting at age 11, she was a professional pianist and singer, and from seventh to twelfth grades, the local branch of the American Legion
appointed her the bugler to play taps at the funerals of veterans.
At the beginning of third grade, Wright realized she was in love with her schoolteacher. Although at that young age she lacked sexual awareness, this crush made her realize that she had an attraction to women that she knew to be culturally taboo. Not only did she share the belief that her sexual orientation was immoral, she also believed that it would kill her career hopes for her audiences to know about it. From early childhood, she therefore built up resolve to never confide the secret of her nature to anyone, let alone pursue romantic love with women.
The summer before her senior year of high school, she worked as a performing musician at the Ozark Jubilee, a long running country music show in Branson, Missouri
. In 1989, taking the advice of her grandfather, she auditioned and landed a position in a musical production at Opryland USA
, a now defunct theme park in Nashville, Tennessee
, starting the job straight out of high school. She would call Nashville home until 2008. For the next several years, she interned and attended writers' nights, while honing her singing and songwriting. She attained her first recording contract in 1993, when Harold Shedd
signed her to Mercury/Polygram, and her first album was released in 1994 on the corporation's Polydor label.
, which was released by MCA Nashville. In 1999, her fourth album, Single White Female
, brought her several hit songs and her first gold album certification. In 2000, during a period of months when she was touring with fellow country artist Brad Paisley, Wright and Paisley cowrote a duet entitled, "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife", which they performed in their joint shows. Later that year—on her 30th birthday—the two of them performed the song at a televised celebration of Grand Ole Opry
's 75th anniversary (televised by CBS
). The recording of that song's performance at the Opry was later nominated for Vocal Event Of The Year as part of the 35th Annual CMA Awards. Additionally, Wright joined with Diamond Rio
for a song on their One More Day
album, as well as Paisley's Part II
album, both of which were released in 2001.
Later in 2001, Wright released the first single from her fifth studio album, Never Love You Enough
. The album was originally scheduled to be released on September 11, 2001 but due to the World Trade Center attack
, the release date was postponed to September 25. Although Never Love You Enough debuted at #4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, it did not match the success of Single White Female.
In these peak years of her popularity, Wright was promoted as a sex symbol by People
magazine and FHM
magazine. In 2001, People chose her for inclusion in its annual article, "50 Most Beautiful People". In 2002, she was ranked #93 among FHM's "100 Sexiest Women of 2002". and later that year was ranked #18 of "The 20 Hottest Women in Music 2002"
She also cowrote Clay Walker
's 2003 top 10 single "I Can't Sleep
".
bumper sticker on the back of Wright's car.
The success of "Bumper of My SUV", released on Wright's own Painted Red Music Group, was followed by the release of an EP, Everything
. The record contained "Back of the Bottom Drawer" and "Bumper of My SUV" along with four demos. The album was made exclusively available through Wright's website (where she states she put out the album for her fans) and was later made available in many retail outlets such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy. The success of the EP led Wright to be signed with Dualtone Records.
Wright's sixth album, The Metropolitan Hotel
, was released in February 2005 on Dualtone Records. The CD included both "The Bumper of My S.U.V." and "Back of the Bottom Drawer," along with ten additional songs, most of which were written or cowritten by Wright. The album itself was produced in conjunction with her own company. Although not a "breakout" commercial hit, it debuted at #18 on Billboard's Top Country chart and it reached #7 on the Top Independent Albums chart). The fourth single released from The Metropolitan Hotel was "C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)", a retitled cover of Chuck Berry
's song "You Never Can Tell
".
in 2008. She released her seventh studio album, Lifted Off the Ground, on May 4, 2010. The album is produced by Grammy Award winner Rodney Crowell
. All tracks on the album were written by Wright except for "Heavenly Days", co-written with Crowell. The first single off the album is "Broken", which was released to radio in April 2010. In early 2011, Wright released a dance mix for the album's third single, "Damn Liar". The remix was produced by Jared Kuemper and was officially be released to dance radio on March 29, 2011.
In the last months of 2000, Wright embarked on an affair with fellow country music singer Brad Paisley
. Even though Wright and her female lover had moved together into a new home earlier in the year, tension mounted between the two. Wright was touring together with Paisley, with whom she had co-written one song the previous year, and he had been enamored of her ever since. Although she felt no sexual attraction to Paisley, as to all men, she recounts why Paisley was the man she decided to have a relationship with, "he’s wickedly smart, which is one of the reasons why I made the decision to spend time with him. I loved Brad. I never had the capacity to fall in love with him, but I figured if I’m gonna live a less than satisfied life, this is the guy I could live my life with. If I’m gonna be with a boy, this is the boy." Her actions were further fueled by the fact that she held him in high esteem and great affection in every way other than sexual attraction. In her autobiography she expresses remorse for how she treated him. She also addressed this point in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
, stating, "I have a lot of regret for how that [relationship] began and had a middle and ended. I had no business being in a relationship with him".
In the end, she abandoned the belief that being gay is immoral and deviant:
Between 2004 and 2006, Wright came out to members of her immediate family and to a few of her close friends. It was not until 2007 (as she stated on Oprah) that she decided to come out publicly. She spent the next three years writing her autobiography and orchestrating the coming out. Among the reasons she has given for wanting to come out to the public are to free herself from the burdens of living a lie, to lend support to gay children and teenagers, and to counter the belief that gays are wicked and defective. On May 3, 2010, People
magazine reported that Wright had come out publicly. Wright is the first major country music artist to come out as gay (former country artist k.d. lang
came out in 1992 but had abandoned the country music genre by then and Kristen Hall
, formerly of Sugarland was already known as being out in the folk music
genre).
On April 6, 2011, Wright's publicist announced that the singer was engaged to LGBT rights advocate Lauren Blitzer. The couple married on August 20 in a private ceremony on a country estate in Connecticut. Wright and Blitzer were married by both a rabbi and a reverend.
A documentary film about Wright's extended coming out is scheduled to be released in 2011. Titled Wish Me Away, the film shares its title with one of the tracks on her 2010 album, Lifted Off the Ground. The film will premiere at the 35th annual Frameline Film Festival
in San Francisco on June 22, 2011. It was filmed over three years.
. In 2002 Wright received the MENC's "FAME Award" in honor of the accomplishments of RW&R.
In 2010 Wright founded her second charity, The Like Me Organization. Wright brought together friends, family, fans, and supporters of the LGBT community to build an organization to provide assistance, resources, and education to LGBT individuals and their family and friends. Wright will serve as spokesperson for the Like Me Organization, which will work to prevent LGBT bullying and teen suicide.
In 2001, Wright was given the "Stand Up For Music Award" MENC: The National Association for Music Education
.
In 2003, she was named "Woman of the Year" by the American Legion Auxiliary
and "Kansan of the Year" for her career achievements, her charity work and her support of the U.S. armed forces.
In 2010, Wright was named the National Spokesperson for the organization GLSEN. Wright was named one of Out magazine's annual 100 People of the Year. Metro Source New York Magazine named her as one of the 20 people We Love in 2010.
Compilation albums
Extended plays
film, Max Keeble's Big Move
. She plays Mrs. Styles, Max's homeroom teacher.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist and, starting in 2010, gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
(ACM) named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive
Shut Up and Drive (Chely Wright song)
Shut Up and Drive is the title of a song written by Rivers Rutherford, Annie Tate and Sam Tate, and recorded by American country music singer Chely Wright. It was the first single from her 1997 album Let Me In, her first album for MCA Nashville...
". Two years later, her fourth album yielded her first number one single, the title track, "Single White Female
Single White Female (song)
"Single White Female" is the title of a song written by Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Shaye Smith, and recorded by American country music artist Chely Wright. The song is her highest-charting single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
". Overall, Wright has released seven studio albums on various labels, and has charted more than fifteen singles on the country charts. As of May 2010, Wright's previous eight albums had sold over 1,000,000 copies in the United States. In May 2010, Wright became the first major country music performer to publicly come out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as gay. In television appearances and an autobiography, she cited among her reasons for publicizing her homosexuality a concern with bullying and hate crimes toward gays, particularly gay teenagers, and the damage to her life caused by "lying and hiding".
As a songwriter she has written songs that have been recorded by Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
, Richard Marx
Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard"...
, Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls
The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, Mindy Smith
Mindy Smith
Mindy Smith is an American singer-songwriter. Her music can be classified as all of the following: folk, country, Americana, bluegrass, pop, rock, and even alternative. Her voice and music have been compared to that of Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Norah Jones, and Alison Krauss.-Biography:Smith...
and Clay Walker
Clay Walker
Ernest Clayton "Clay" Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You," which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die." Both singles were included on...
, among them Walker's top ten hit, "I Can't Sleep" that won her a BMI award. On May 4, 2010, Wright released both her memoir of being a closeted lesbian, Like Me, and her first album of new songs since 2005, Lifted Off the Ground.
Early years
Born in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Wright grew up in a musical family in Wellsville, Kansas, a very small town with a population under 2,000. As presented in her autobiography, Like Me, two major factors driving her approach to life were her calling to be a country music performer, which she resolved upon as early as age four, and her realization, as early as age eight, that she was gay. (In Like Me, Wright variously terms herself a "homosexual", a "lesbian", and a "gay woman".)
As a toddler, Wright would sit in a great-grandmother's lap and rest her own hands on the great-grandmother's hands as the woman played piano. Also in these years, she began to seek out adult audiences to sing for. Piano lessons followed. Starting at age 11, she was a professional pianist and singer, and from seventh to twelfth grades, the local branch of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
appointed her the bugler to play taps at the funerals of veterans.
At the beginning of third grade, Wright realized she was in love with her schoolteacher. Although at that young age she lacked sexual awareness, this crush made her realize that she had an attraction to women that she knew to be culturally taboo. Not only did she share the belief that her sexual orientation was immoral, she also believed that it would kill her career hopes for her audiences to know about it. From early childhood, she therefore built up resolve to never confide the secret of her nature to anyone, let alone pursue romantic love with women.
The summer before her senior year of high school, she worked as a performing musician at the Ozark Jubilee, a long running country music show in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
. In 1989, taking the advice of her grandfather, she auditioned and landed a position in a musical production at Opryland USA
Opryland USA
Opryland USA was an amusement park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally from 1972 until 1997...
, a now defunct theme park in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, starting the job straight out of high school. She would call Nashville home until 2008. For the next several years, she interned and attended writers' nights, while honing her singing and songwriting. She attained her first recording contract in 1993, when Harold Shedd
Harold Shedd
Harold Shedd is a music industry executive and producer, best known for his role as producer of the country group Alabama as well as Reba McEntire, Shania Twain and Toby Keith...
signed her to Mercury/Polygram, and her first album was released in 1994 on the corporation's Polydor label.
As a commercial artist
After releasing two unsuccessful albums through Mercury/Polygram, Wright asked to be released from her contract and later signed with MCA Nashville. Here, she had her first top twenty country hit in 1997 with the song "Shut Up and Drive," off her third album, Let Me InLet Me In (album)
Let Me In mainly received positive reviews from critics. Country Standard Times Brian Walhert said that the album's first five songs were "masterfully crafted", calling the third track "Shut Up and Drive" to combine both "sympathy" and "quiet urgency". Walhert also praised the fourth track "Emma...
, which was released by MCA Nashville. In 1999, her fourth album, Single White Female
Single White Female (album)
Single White Female is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Chely Wright. Released in 1999 on MCA Nashville Records , it is also her highest selling album, having been certified gold by the RIAA. The album's title track became Wright's first and only Number One hit on the...
, brought her several hit songs and her first gold album certification. In 2000, during a period of months when she was touring with fellow country artist Brad Paisley, Wright and Paisley cowrote a duet entitled, "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife", which they performed in their joint shows. Later that year—on her 30th birthday—the two of them performed the song at a televised celebration of Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
's 75th anniversary (televised by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
). The recording of that song's performance at the Opry was later nominated for Vocal Event Of The Year as part of the 35th Annual CMA Awards. Additionally, Wright joined with Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American Country music/Christian music band formed in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its foundation, the group has comprised the same six members: Gene Johnson , Jimmy Olander , Brian Prout , Marty Roe , Dan Truman , and Dana Williams...
for a song on their One More Day
One More Day (album)
One More Day is the sixth studio album produced by American country band Diamond Rio. The album was released in 2001. Although its lead-off single "Stuff" peaked at #36 on the Hot Country Songs charts, the title track became popular on radio after the death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., and eventually...
album, as well as Paisley's Part II
Part II (Brad Paisley album)
-Personnel:*Eddie Bayers - drums*Ron Block - banjo*Glen Duncan - fiddle*Kevin "Swine" Grantt - bass guitar, upright bass*Jim "Daddy" Heffernan - Dobro on "Two Feet of Topsoil", "Munster Rag" and "Too Country"*Bernie Herms - piano, keyboards, B3 organ...
album, both of which were released in 2001.
Later in 2001, Wright released the first single from her fifth studio album, Never Love You Enough
Never Love You Enough
Never Love You Enough is the fifth studio album released by American country music artist Chely Wright. Its first two tracks — the title track and "Jezebel" — were both released as singles, both peaking in the mid-20s on the Billboard country charts. The latter was co-written by Jay DeMarcus, bass...
. The album was originally scheduled to be released on September 11, 2001 but due to the World Trade Center attack
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, the release date was postponed to September 25. Although Never Love You Enough debuted at #4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, it did not match the success of Single White Female.
In these peak years of her popularity, Wright was promoted as a sex symbol by People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine and FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
magazine. In 2001, People chose her for inclusion in its annual article, "50 Most Beautiful People". In 2002, she was ranked #93 among FHM's "100 Sexiest Women of 2002". and later that year was ranked #18 of "The 20 Hottest Women in Music 2002"
She also cowrote Clay Walker
Clay Walker
Ernest Clayton "Clay" Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You," which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die." Both singles were included on...
's 2003 top 10 single "I Can't Sleep
I Can't Sleep (song)
"I Can't Sleep" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2004 as the second single from his 2003 album, A Few Questions, it peaked at #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and features Chely Wright on background...
".
As an independent artist
In 2003, Wright parted ways with MCA Nashville after "Never Love You Enough" failed to meet sales expectations. In January 2004, she signed with a new independent label, Vivaton, and began preparation for a new album. Although a music video was released for a song entitled "The Back of the Bottom Drawer," the album never materialized. Wright announced she was splitting with Vivaton in June 2004. Again without a label, she nevertheless released a single in late 2004, mostly through the Internet and various radio stations. The song, entitled "Bumper of My S.U.V.," was written by Wright in response to an altercation with an irate woman who noticed the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
bumper sticker on the back of Wright's car.
The success of "Bumper of My SUV", released on Wright's own Painted Red Music Group, was followed by the release of an EP, Everything
Everything (EP)
Everything is an EP released by American country music artist Chely Wright. This is Wright's first EP and first release on her own record company, Painted Red. The album features the video hit "Back of the Bottom Drawer" along with four demos...
. The record contained "Back of the Bottom Drawer" and "Bumper of My SUV" along with four demos. The album was made exclusively available through Wright's website (where she states she put out the album for her fans) and was later made available in many retail outlets such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy. The success of the EP led Wright to be signed with Dualtone Records.
Wright's sixth album, The Metropolitan Hotel
The Metropolitan Hotel
The Metropolitan Hotel is the sixth studio album released by American country music artist Chely Wright. It was her first album for the Dualtone label, after a failed deal with the Vivaton! label. This album produced four singles, of which two were Top 40 hits on the country music charts: the...
, was released in February 2005 on Dualtone Records. The CD included both "The Bumper of My S.U.V." and "Back of the Bottom Drawer," along with ten additional songs, most of which were written or cowritten by Wright. The album itself was produced in conjunction with her own company. Although not a "breakout" commercial hit, it debuted at #18 on Billboard's Top Country chart and it reached #7 on the Top Independent Albums chart). The fourth single released from The Metropolitan Hotel was "C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)", a retitled cover of Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's song "You Never Can Tell
You Never Can Tell (song)
"You Never Can Tell" also occasionally referred to as "C'est La Vie" is a rock and roll song by Chuck Berry. It was composed while he was in prison for intent to commit a sex crime. The song was originally released in 1964 on the album St...
".
Lifted Off the Ground
Wright signed to Vanguard RecordsVanguard Records
Vanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary...
in 2008. She released her seventh studio album, Lifted Off the Ground, on May 4, 2010. The album is produced by Grammy Award winner Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music....
. All tracks on the album were written by Wright except for "Heavenly Days", co-written with Crowell. The first single off the album is "Broken", which was released to radio in April 2010. In early 2011, Wright released a dance mix for the album's third single, "Damn Liar". The remix was produced by Jared Kuemper and was officially be released to dance radio on March 29, 2011.
Personal life
Despite her resolution against having sex with women, by her early 30s Wright had had sexual relationships with two women (as recounted in her autobiography). At age 19, for the first time a girl came on to her — "it was the first time I'd ever had a girl's body pressed against mine"—and this initiation into sex (by a girl of the same age) became an affair that lasted the better part of a year. From 1993 to about 2004, Wright maintained a committed relationship with a woman she describes as "the love of my life", a woman she met shortly after winning her first recording contract. The era of their relationship overlaps Wright's rise to chart-topping stardom. They maintained their union even though her partner subsequently got married to a man for many of those years and even though after the end of that marriage each woman briefly dated a man (not the same man). During their final five years they lived together. The relationship suffered numerous breakups followed by reconciliations, being as it was under continuous strain from several factors: the fact that both women were closeted, the fact that, at least in the early part of their years together, "neither one of us thought it was acceptable to be in a gay relationship", and Wright's prolonged absences while performing on tour nationally and internationally. Naturally, being closeted put immense strain on the relationship.In the last months of 2000, Wright embarked on an affair with fellow country music singer Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
. Even though Wright and her female lover had moved together into a new home earlier in the year, tension mounted between the two. Wright was touring together with Paisley, with whom she had co-written one song the previous year, and he had been enamored of her ever since. Although she felt no sexual attraction to Paisley, as to all men, she recounts why Paisley was the man she decided to have a relationship with, "he’s wickedly smart, which is one of the reasons why I made the decision to spend time with him. I loved Brad. I never had the capacity to fall in love with him, but I figured if I’m gonna live a less than satisfied life, this is the guy I could live my life with. If I’m gonna be with a boy, this is the boy." Her actions were further fueled by the fact that she held him in high esteem and great affection in every way other than sexual attraction. In her autobiography she expresses remorse for how she treated him. She also addressed this point in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, stating, "I have a lot of regret for how that [relationship] began and had a middle and ended. I had no business being in a relationship with him".
In the end, she abandoned the belief that being gay is immoral and deviant:
"I hear the word 'tolerance'—that some people are trying to teach people to be tolerant of gays. I'm not satisfied with that word. I am gay, and I am not seeking to be 'tolerated'. One tolerates a toothache, rush-hour traffic, an annoying neighbor with a cluttered yard. I am not a negative to be tolerated."
Between 2004 and 2006, Wright came out to members of her immediate family and to a few of her close friends. It was not until 2007 (as she stated on Oprah) that she decided to come out publicly. She spent the next three years writing her autobiography and orchestrating the coming out. Among the reasons she has given for wanting to come out to the public are to free herself from the burdens of living a lie, to lend support to gay children and teenagers, and to counter the belief that gays are wicked and defective. On May 3, 2010, People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine reported that Wright had come out publicly. Wright is the first major country music artist to come out as gay (former country artist k.d. lang
K.D. Lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
came out in 1992 but had abandoned the country music genre by then and Kristen Hall
Kristen Hall
Kristen Alyson Hall is an American folk rock singer/songwriter. In 2002, she was a founding member of the country music group Sugarland. She left the group in December 2005.-Lawsuit:...
, formerly of Sugarland was already known as being out in the folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
genre).
On April 6, 2011, Wright's publicist announced that the singer was engaged to LGBT rights advocate Lauren Blitzer. The couple married on August 20 in a private ceremony on a country estate in Connecticut. Wright and Blitzer were married by both a rabbi and a reverend.
A documentary film about Wright's extended coming out is scheduled to be released in 2011. Titled Wish Me Away, the film shares its title with one of the tracks on her 2010 album, Lifted Off the Ground. The film will premiere at the 35th annual Frameline Film Festival
Frameline Film Festival
Frameline is a nonprofit media arts organization that produces the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, the oldest film festival devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender programming currently in existence...
in San Francisco on June 22, 2011. It was filmed over three years.
Philanthropy
Wright is the founder of the charity, Reading, Writing, and Rhythm (RW&R), which is devoted to musical education in America's schools and helps supply musical instruments and equipment. It holds a fundraiser each June in Nashville, just before CMA Music FestivalCMA Music Festival
The CMA Music Festival is a four-day music festival centered around country music hosted each June by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee...
. In 2002 Wright received the MENC's "FAME Award" in honor of the accomplishments of RW&R.
In 2010 Wright founded her second charity, The Like Me Organization. Wright brought together friends, family, fans, and supporters of the LGBT community to build an organization to provide assistance, resources, and education to LGBT individuals and their family and friends. Wright will serve as spokesperson for the Like Me Organization, which will work to prevent LGBT bullying and teen suicide.
Miscellaneous recognitions
MENC: The National Association for Music Education
MENC: The National Association for Music Education is an organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education and as part of the core curriculum of schools in the United States...
.
In 2003, she was named "Woman of the Year" by the American Legion Auxiliary
American Legion Auxiliary
The American Legion Auxiliary is a U.S.-headquartered patriotic service organization for women interested in voluntary service. It is a non-profit organization, affiliated with The American Legion...
and "Kansan of the Year" for her career achievements, her charity work and her support of the U.S. armed forces.
In 2010, Wright was named the National Spokesperson for the organization GLSEN. Wright was named one of Out magazine's annual 100 People of the Year. Metro Source New York Magazine named her as one of the 20 people We Love in 2010.
Discography
Studio albums- 1994: Woman in the MoonWoman in the Moon (album)- Personnel :* Eddie Bayers – drums* Barry Beckett – keyboards* Glen Duncan – fiddle* Rob Hajacos – fiddle* Owen Hale – drums* Terry McMillan – harmonica* Weldon Myrick – steel guitar* Don Potter – acoustic guitar, guitar...
- 1996: Right in the Middle of ItRight in the Middle of It- Personnel :* Eddie Bayers – drums* Larry Byrom – electric guitar* Butch Carr – triangle* Joe Chemay – bass* Tod Culross – clapping* Cindy Fee – background vocals* Larry Franklin – fiddle, mandolin* Paul Franklin – dobro, guitar...
- 1997: Let Me InLet Me In (album)Let Me In mainly received positive reviews from critics. Country Standard Times Brian Walhert said that the album's first five songs were "masterfully crafted", calling the third track "Shut Up and Drive" to combine both "sympathy" and "quiet urgency". Walhert also praised the fourth track "Emma...
- 1999: Single White FemaleSingle White Female (album)Single White Female is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Chely Wright. Released in 1999 on MCA Nashville Records , it is also her highest selling album, having been certified gold by the RIAA. The album's title track became Wright's first and only Number One hit on the...
- 2001: Never Love You EnoughNever Love You EnoughNever Love You Enough is the fifth studio album released by American country music artist Chely Wright. Its first two tracks — the title track and "Jezebel" — were both released as singles, both peaking in the mid-20s on the Billboard country charts. The latter was co-written by Jay DeMarcus, bass...
- 2005: The Metropolitan HotelThe Metropolitan HotelThe Metropolitan Hotel is the sixth studio album released by American country music artist Chely Wright. It was her first album for the Dualtone label, after a failed deal with the Vivaton! label. This album produced four singles, of which two were Top 40 hits on the country music charts: the...
- 2010: Lifted Off the GroundLifted Off the GroundLifted Off the Ground is the seventh studio album from singer-songwriter Chely Wright. The album was released on April 30, 2010 and coincided with the release of her first memoir, "Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer"...
Compilation albums
- 2003: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Chely Wright
- 2007: The Definitive Collection
Extended plays
- 2004: EverythingEverything (EP)Everything is an EP released by American country music artist Chely Wright. This is Wright's first EP and first release on her own record company, Painted Red. The album features the video hit "Back of the Bottom Drawer" along with four demos...
(EP) - 2005: Live EP (Digital EP)
- 2011: Damn Liar-The Dance Remix (EP)
Filmography
Wright made her acting debut in the DisneyWalt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
film, Max Keeble's Big Move
Max Keeble's Big Move
Max Keeble's Big Move is a 2001 Disney live-action teen comedy film directed by Tim Hill, written by David L. Watts, James Greer, Jonathan Bernstein, and Mark Blackwell, and starring Alex D. Linz as the title character. The film is set in University Place, Washington. It was released in North...
. She plays Mrs. Styles, Max's homeroom teacher.
Awards
| Year | Awards | Award | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Academy of Country Music Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the... |
Top New Female Vocalist | |
| 1996 | TNN/Music City News Awards The Nashville Network The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows... |
Star of Tomorrow | |
| Jukebox Awards | Best New Artist | ||
| 1999 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | |
| Best Music Video — "Single White Female" | |||
| Country Music Television Country Music Television Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs... |
Female Video of the Year — "Single White Female" | ||
| Country Weekly Awards Country Weekly Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news... |
Fast Track Artist | ||
| Country Music Association Awards Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... |
Horizon Award | ||
| 2000 | Horizon Award | ||
| 2001 | Country Weekly Awards | Vocal Collaboration (with Brad Paisley Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references.... ) — "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife" |
|
| MENC MENC: The National Association for Music Education MENC: The National Association for Music Education is an organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education and as part of the core curriculum of schools in the United States... |
Stand Up for Music Award | ||
| Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Event of the Year (with Brad Paisley Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references.... ) — "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife" |
||
| 2002 | CMT Flameworthy Awards CMT Music Awards The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:... |
Video Fashion Plate — "Jezebel" | |
| People Magazine | 50 Most Beautiful People | ||
| International Bluegrass Music Association International Bluegrass Music Association The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International Bluegrass Music Museum as a joint venture with... |
Recorded Event of the Year (with Ralph Stanley Ralph Stanley Ralph Stanley , also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing.-Biography:... and various artists) — Clinch Mountain Sweethearts |
||
| MENC | FAME Award | ||
| 2005 | Country Weekly Awards | Star with Biggest Heart | |
| Best Patriotic Song — "The Bumper of My SUV" | |||
| 2006 | Star with Biggest Heart | ||
| 2010 | Black Tie Dinner Black Tie Dinner Black Tie Dinner is a formal charity dinner held each year in Dallas, Texas to raise money for the North Texas gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. The first dinner was held in 1982. Since its inception, Black Tie Dinner has remained the largest GLBT fund-raising dinner in the... |
Media Award | |
| OUTmusic Awards | Vanguard Award | ||
| 2011 | Kansas Music Hall of Fame | Inducted | |
| GLAAD Media Awards GLAAD Media Awards The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives... |
Outstanding Musical Artist | ||
| Lambda Literary Awards | Best Biography-Like Me | ||
| Documentary Channel Audience Award-Nashville Film Festival | Best Documentary-Wish Me Away | ||
| Los Angeles Film Festival | Best Documentary-Wish Me Away |