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Jun 22, 2011 · After a lifetime of hiding, Chely Wright becomes the first commercial country music singer to come out as gay, shattering cultural stereotypes within Nashville, her conservative heartland family and, most importantly, within herself.
- (389)
- Documentary, Biography, Music
- Bobbie Birleffi, Beverly Kopf
- 2011-06-22
Wish Me Away is a 2011 documentary film directed by Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf. Winner of 12 film festival awards, it is about the coming out of the country music singer and gay rights activist Chely Wright.
- Early Life
- Music Career
- Activist Career
- Personal Life
- Awards and Nominations
- Books
- External Links
Wright was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1970, and was raised in the nearby community of Wellsville, Kansas. Wright was the youngest of three children born to Cheri and Stan Wright. Her parents' marriage was unhappy, partly due to her father's drinking. This caused the family to temporarily separate while Wright was a small child. She lived wit...
1993–1996: Beginnings at PolyGram and the rise to success
Wright was signed to a publishing deal as a songwriter, which helped secure a recording contract as a recording artist with PolyGram/Mercury Records in 1993. Wright chose to keep her sexuality hidden from her record label and buying public, a theme which continued throughout her commercial career. She collaborated on her first album with Nashville producer, Harold Shedd. In a mutual agreement, Shedd agreed that Wright's persona would not be centered around being "a [music] video babe," but in...
1997–2003: Breakout into the mainstream
Free from her previous record label, Wright made several changes to her career. She began working with a new manager (Clarence Spalding) and a publicist (Wes Vause), who helped secure her a contract with MCA Records Nashville. Wright then contacted producer Tony Brown, who had previously made hit albums with Reba McEntire and Wynonna. Brown agreed to work with her and together they recorded her third album. In 1997, Let Me In, was released on MCA. According to Brown, the album's material was...
2004–present: Musical transitions and coming out
After leaving MCA, Wright co-wrote Clay Walker's top ten hit, "I Can't Sleep". She also moved her recording career towards an independent direction. In 2004, she signed with the independent label, Vivaton, and also changed management. Her first Vivaton release was the 2004 single, "Back of the Bottom Drawer." The song peaked at number 40 on the Billboard country chart. Despite an intended album release, Wright exited Vivaton one month later, citing creative differences with label CEO, Jeff Hu...
2000–2010: Early activism
Wright first began her work with activism through music education. She was inspired to help public schools following the Columbine High School massacre. In 2000, she established the Reading, Writing and Rhythm non-profit organization. The program helps provide public schools with musical instruments and brings attention to the significance of music education. Wright holds a yearly concert for the organization in Nashville that has included numerous performers in its lineup. Musicians at previ...
2010–present: LGBT activism
Wright became involved in LGBT activism following her decision to publicly come out in 2010. She received notable attention in the LGBT community with the release of her 2010 memoir, Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer. The book was published by Random House, Inc. The book described Wright's rise to fame and struggle with being a closeted person in the country music industry. It also chronicles Wright's realization of her identity as a lesbian. In an interview with Entertainmen...
Early relationships, closeted identity and breaking point
Wright harbored the belief her sexual orientation was immoral and that her secret would kill her career hopes, as a result of her Christian upbringing. From early childhood, she resolved to never confide her orientation to anyone or to pursue romantic relationships with women. Despite her resolution against having sex with women, Wright disclosed in her memoir that, by her early thirties, she had had sexual relationships with two women. She had her first same-sex experience at age 19 — "it wa...
Coming out and current life
Wright eventually abandoned the belief of hiding her sexual identity. She soon took steps towards coming out. In 2008, Wright made the move from Nashville to New York City where she became more involved with the LGBT community. During this period, she came out to members of her immediate family and to a few of her close friends. It was not until 2007 that she decided to come out publicly, but spent the next three years writing her autobiography. She stated that she wanted to come out to free...
Wright has received several awards and nominations for her work. This includes one win the Academy of Country Music Awards, three nominations from the Country Music Association Awards, and two nominations from GLAAD.
My Moment: 106 Women on Fighting for Themselves(2022)Chely Wright discography at DiscogsChely Wright at IMDbA personal and intimate look at Chely Wright, the first country music star to come out as openly gay. The film charts her pursuit to stardom, her emotional unraveling and eventual rebirth.
- Bobbie Birleffi, Beverly Kopf
- January 1, 2012
- 97 min
Determined to live a lie no longer, acclaimed country singer Chely Wright comes out as a lesbian in 2010.
- (14)
- Documentary, LGBTQ+
- Bobbie Birleffi, Beverly Kopf
Jun 1, 2012 · Chronicling the aftermath in Nashville and within the LGBT community, Chely Wright: Wish Me Away reveals both the devastation of her own internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic life.
Chely Wright: Wish Me Away. After a lifetime of hiding, Chely Wright became the first commercial country music singer to come out as gay, shattering culturalstereotypes within Nashville and within herself. 124 IMDb 7.5 1 h 36 min 2011. X-Ray 13+.
