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Chely Wright

Episode 168: Chely Wright

Country-music artist, author and LGBTQ+ activist Chely Wright

Show notes

Chely Wright is country-music artist, author and LGBTQ+ activist. Named "Top New Female Vocalist" by The Academy of Country Music, she rose to fame as a commercial country singer in the '90s, and has since released 9 studio albums and charted more than 17 singles on the Billboard charts, including "Shut Up and Drive," "Single White Female," and "The Bumper of My S.U.V." She made history by being the first country music star to publicly come out as gay, which she wrote about in her 2010 memoir Like Me. The documentary film about her coming out process, "Wish Me Away", was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Subsequently, her life’s changed to include advocacy and corporate engagement around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and she currently serves as Chief Diversity Officer at Unispace--a global strategy, design, and delivery firm. She is also Vice-Chair of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network Board of Directors, which is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. She was also recognized as a 2023 Crain's New York Business Notable LGBTQ Leader. Her latest book is 2022’s My Moment: 106 Women on Fighting for Themselves.

Chely shares her incredible journey from Wellsville, KS to the Grand Old Opry and her courageous decision to acknowledge her sexuality at the height of her career. This is her brutally honest and inspiring story.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

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Chely Wright

Chely Wright

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