Country music star Chely Wright has
come out lesbian in an interview with People Magazine.
“Nothing in my life has been more
magical than the moment I decided to come out,” Wright told
People.com.
Wright said she was initially unhappy
with her sexual orientation: “Early in my life I went through what
I think a lot of gay people go through, thinking that I could change
and pray it away.”
The 39-year-old singer was named Best
New Female Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1994. She's
released seven studio albums throughout her career and is best known
for her 1999 #1 single release Single White Female. Broken,
her new single, was released last month.
In addition to writing her own music,
Wright has penned songs for Brad Paisley, Richard Marx, Mindy Smith
and Clay Walker.
Speaking to Access Hollywood,
Wright said she cut off “cold turkey” former boyfriend Paisley
once she realized the damage she was doing living a lie.
She'll release her eighth studio album,
Lifted Off The Ground, and a memoir titled Like Me on
Tuesday.
Hollywood Publicist Howard Bragman –
the man behind Chaz Bono's coming out transgender – announced
several weeks ago to look for a major coming out story in the May 5
edition of People.
Bragman, who is openly gay and married
to Chuck O'Donnell, is known for helping celebrities come out of the
closet. The first client he helped was actor Dick Sergeant in 1991.
Wright is the first openly gay major
country artist.