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Biography
Distinguish|Michelle WrightInfobox musical artist | name = Chely Wright| image = Chely Wright Broadway.jpg | caption = Chely Wright at the premiere of the Broadway musical theater|musical Promises, Promises (musical)|Promises, Promises | background = solo_singer| birth_name = Richell Rene Wright| birth_date = birth date and age|1970|10|25| origin = Wellsville, Kansas , USA| instrument = Vocals , Guitar , Piano | genre = Country Music|Country | occupation = Singer-songwriter Author Activist | years_active = 1994& ndash;present| label = Mercury Records|Mercury Polydor Records|Polydor A& M Records|A& M Universal Music Group Nashville|MCA Nashville Painted Red Vivaton! Dualtone Records|Dualtone Vanguard Records|Vanguard / EMI | associated_acts = Brad Paisley Clay Walker Rodney Crowell Rascal Flatts Diamond Rio | website = http://chely.com/ Chely Wright Official Site Richell Rene "Chely" Wright (IPAc-en|pron|'|?|?|l|i|_|'|r|a?|t; 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 (Chely Wright song)|Shut Up and Drive ". Two years later, her fourth album yielded her first number one single, the title track, " Single White Female (song)|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.cite news|last=Walsh|first=Chris M.|title=Chely Wright Comes Out As Country Music's First Openly Gay Singer|publisher=Billboard|date=May 4, 2010|url= http://www.billboard.com/news/chely-wright-comes-out-as-country-music-1004088503.story|accessdate=May 5, 2010 In May 2010, Wright became the first major country music performer to publicly coming out|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 .
Early years
Born in Kansas City, Missouri , 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. #Wright2010|Wright (2010) chapters, "House of the Rising Sun", Let Me Sing for You Starting at age 11, she was a professional pianist and singer, #Wright2010|Wright (2010) p. 35 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.Wright (2010) p. 95
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.Wright (2010) chapter, Learning to Hide
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.Wright, 2010 pp. 75, 77.
Recording career
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 In (album)|Let Me In , which was released by MCA Nashville Records|MCA Nashville . In 1999, her fourth album, Single White Female (album)|Single White Female , brought her several hit songs and her first gold album certification.cite web |url= http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/232781 |title=Chely Wright Strikes Gold |accessdate=2008-06-20 |work=BMI |date=2000-08-23 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.Wright (2010) p. 148 Additionally, Wright joined with Diamond Rio for a song on their One More Day (album)|One More Day album, as well as Paisley's Part II (Brad Paisley album)|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 September 11, 2001 attacks|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)|People magazine and FHM magazine. In 2001, People chose her for inclusion in its annual article, "50 Most Beautiful People".cite web |url= http://www.gactv.com/gac/ar_artists_a-z/article/0,,GAC_26071_4987892,00.html |title=Chely Wright Biography|accessdate=2008-06-20 |work=GAC |year=2003 In 2002, she was ranked #93 among ''FHM's "100 Sexiest Women of 2002".Cite news | last =Needham | first =Ed | publication-date =July 2002 | date =July 2002 | title =The FHM Reporter Girl:Chely Wright | periodical =FHM | issue =23 | pages =24–26 | postscript = and later that year was ranked #18 of "The 20 Hottest Women in Music 2002"Cite news | last =Needham | first =Ed | publication-date =November 2002 | date =November 2002 | title =The 20 Hottest Women In Music 2002: #18 | periodical =FHM | issue =27 | pages =92 | postscript =
She also cowrote Clay Walker 's 2003 top 10 single " I Can't Sleep (song)|I Can't Sleep ".cite web |url= http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1511835/20051019/wright_chely.jhtml |title=BMI Honors "Live Like You Were Dying" and Charlie Daniels |accessdate=2008-06-20 |author=Shelburne, Craig |date=2005-10-25 |work= |publisher=CMT
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.cite news |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2004/03/08/daily8.html? jst=s_cn_hl |title=New label Vivaton signs distribution deal with RED|accessdate=2008-06-20 |work=Nashville Business Journal |date=March 8, 2004 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.cite web |url= http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1488672/20040624/little_texas.jhtml |title=Chely Wright Exits Vivaton Records|accessdate=2008-06-20 |work=CMT |date=2004-06-24 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 Corps 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 (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.cite web |url= http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1497634/20050301/wright_chely.jhtml? headlines=true |title=Chely Wright's Candid and Reflective New Album|accessdate=2008-06-20 |work=CMT|date=2005-03-01
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 (song)|You Never Can Tell ".
Lifted Off the Ground
Wright signed to Vanguard Records 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.
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"Wright (2010) p.63—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,Wright (2010) pp. 155, 280 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",Wright (2010) p. 77 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 .Wright, 2010 chapter, "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife"cite web|url= http://www.bostonherald.com/track/star_tracks/view.bg? articleid=1251876& srvc=rss|title=Chely Wright to announce she’s a lesbian|date=May 3, 2010|publisher=Boston Herald|accessdate=3 May 2010cite news|url= http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/05/02/2010-05-02_country_singer_chely_wright_set_to_announce_she_is_lesbian_in_next_people_magazi.html|title=Country singer Chely Wright set to announce she is lesbian in next People Magazine: report|last=Roberts|first=Soraya|date=May 2, 2010|publisher=NY Daily News|accessdate=2 May 2010 | location=New York 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, http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/05/05/chely-wright-comes-out-qa/ Interview with Chely Wright in ''Entertainment Weekly's Music Mix , May 5, 2010Wright (2010) pp. 63, 74 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." #Wright2010|Wright (2010) p. 116; chapter, "Hard to be a husband, hard to be a wife" 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.Interview with Chely Wright on the television show, Oprah In her autobiography she expresses remorse for how she treated him.Wright, 2010 pp. 116, 153. 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". The Oprah Winfrey Show , May 19, 2010
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."Wright, 2010 p. 276.
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)|People magazine reported that Wright had come out publicly.cite web|url= http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20365936,00.html|title=Country Music Artist Chely Wright Comes Out|date=May 3, 2010|work=People.com|publisher=People Magazine|accessdate=3 May 2010cite news|url= http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/05/country-singer-chely-wright-says-shes-gay/1|title=Country singer Chely Wright says she's gay|date=May 4, 2010|work=USA Today|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=4 May 2010 Wright is the first majorcite news |url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/07/entertainment/main6468760.shtml|title=John Rich Responds to Chely Wright Memoir |accessdate=2010-05-19 |work=CBS | date=May 7, 2010cite web |url= http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/may/14/time-out-kansan-chely-wright-becomes-first-openly-|title=Time out: Kansan Chely Wright becomes first openly gay country star |accessdate=2010-05-19 |work=Lawrence Journal World |year=2010cite web |url= http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1638272/chely-wright-acknowledges-her-homosexuality.jhtml|title=Chely Wright Acknowledges Her Homosexuality |accessdate=2010-05-19 |work=Country Music Television|year=2010 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 The9513.com . http://www.the9513.com/the-malec-minute-sugarland-lawsuit-sheds-light-on-halls-departure/ The Malec Minute: Sugarland Lawsuit Sheds Light on Hall’s Departure August 8, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2010.Cite news | last =Kort | first =Michele | publication-date =June 21, 2005 | title =Sweet success: with her country band, Sugarland, poised to become a household word, out artist Kristen Hall is pickin' on top of the world | periodical =The Advocate ).
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.cite news| url= http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/08/chely-wright-married-lauren-blitzer-wedding.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Ministry of Gossip http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/ourcountry/94422/chely-wright-marries-partner-lauren-blitzer-in-connecticut? nc Chely Wright Marries Partner Lauren Blitzer In Connecticut
A documentary film about Wright's extended coming out is scheduled to be released in 2011.update after|2011|12|31 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.update after|2011|06|22 http://www.wishmeawaydoc.com/ Wish Me Away Website It was filmed over three years.
Philanthropy
Wright is the founder of the charity, http://www.rwandr.org 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 Festival . In 2002 Wright received the MENC's "FAME Award" in honor of the accomplishments of RW& R. http://www.menc.org/about/view/fame-award-and-partnership-of-professionals-award-honorees FAME Award and Partnership of Professionals Award
In 2010 Wright founded her second charity, The Like Me Organization. http://www.likeme.org LIKE ME 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
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.citation needed|date=January 2011 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.citation needed|date=January 2011
Discography
main|Chely Wright discography ;Studio albums
1994: Woman in the Moon (album)|Woman in the Moon
1996: Right in the Middle of It
1997: Let Me In (album)|Let Me In
1999: Single White Female (album)|Single White Female
2001: Never Love You Enough
2005: The Metropolitan Hotel
2010: Lifted Off the Ground
;Compilation albums
2003: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Chely Wright
2007: The Definitive Collection (Chely Wright album)|The Definitive Collection
;Extended plays
2004: Everything (EP)|Everything (EP)
2005: Live EP (Digital EP)
2011: Damn Liar-The Dance Remix (EP)
Filmography
Wright made her acting debut in the Walt Disney Pictures|Disney film, '' Max Keeble's Big Move ''. She plays Mrs. Styles, Max's homeroom teacher.cite web |url= http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0273799/fullcredits#caste |title=Full cast and crew for Max Keeble's Big Move|accessdate=2008-06-20 |work=IMDB |date=20011
Awards
cite web>url=http:/ / chely.com/ awards
1995
Academy of Country Music
Top New Female Vocalist
won
1996
TNN/ Music City News Awards
Star of Tomorrow
nom
Jukebox Awards
Best New Artist
nom
1999
Academy of Country Music
Top Female Vocalist
nom
Best Music Video — "Single White Female"
nom
Country Music Television
Female Video of the Year — "Single White Female"
nom
Country Weekly Awards
Fast Track Artist
nom
Country Music Association Awards
Horizon Award
nom
2000
Horizon Award
nom
2001
Country Weekly Awards
Vocal Collaboration (with Brad Paisley ) — "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife"
nom
MENC
Stand Up for Music Award
won
Country Music Association Awards
Vocal Event of the Year (with Brad Paisley ) — "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife"
nom
2002
CMT Flameworthy Awards
Video Fashion Plate — "Jezebel"
won
People Magazine
50 Most Beautiful People
won
International Bluegrass Music Association
Recorded Event of the Year (with Ralph Stanley and various artists) — Clinch Mountain Sweethearts
won
MENC
FAME Award
won
2005
Country Weekly Awards
Star with Biggest Heart
nom
Best Patriotic Song — "The Bumper of My SUV"
nom
2006
Star with Biggest Heart
nom
2010
Black Tie Dinner
Media Award
won
OUTmusic Awards
Vanguard Award
won
2011
Kansas Music Hall of Fame
Inducted
won
GLAAD Media Awards
Outstanding Musical Artist
nom
Lambda Literary Awards
Best Biography-Like Me
nom
Documentary Channel Audience Award-Nashville Film Festival
Best Documentary-Wish Me Away
won
Los Angeles Film Festival
Best Documentary-Wish Me Away
won
Notes
reflist
Bibliography
Lawrence Journal-World (Lawrence, Kansas) with Jon Niccum. 2010 May 14. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/may/14/time-out-kansan-chely-wright-becomes-first-openly-/ Time out: Kansan Chely Wright becomes first openly gay country star
Music Mix (a product of Entertainment Weekly ), 2010 May 5. http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/05/05/chely-wright-comes-out-qa/ Chely Wright on her decision to come out: 'I won't be a whisper. I'm too proud of who I am'. Interview with Chely Wright.
Oprah (television show). 2010 May 19. Interview with Chely Wright. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=msYCbaqNMb0& feature=related Posted at YouTube in three parts.
Cite book |last1=Wright |first1=Chely |authorlink1= |title= Like Me: confessions of a heartland country singer |edition= |year=2010 |origyear= |publisher= Pantheon Books |location= |isbn= |quote= |ref=Wright2010
External links
Commons category|Chely Wright
http://chely.com/ Chely Wright Official Site
MySpace-music | id = chelywright | name = Chely Wright
Discogs artist
Chely Wright Persondata| NAME =Wright, Chely | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American singer | DATE OF BIRTH =October 25, 1970 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Chely Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kansas City, Missouri Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American female singers Category:American memoirists Category:Lesbian musicians Category:LGBT memoirists Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:Middle Tennessee State University alumni Category:Musicians from Kansas Category:MCA Records artists Category:Polydor Records artists Category:Vanguard Records artists Category:Dualtone Records artists Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States
