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Chely Wright on 'Today' about coming out: 'I was ready to take my own life'
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Country singer Chely Wright is coming out of the closet in her new autobiography "Like Me," which hits stores Wednesday, May 5. She tells "Today" about her struggle with her sexuality, dating all the way back to third grade."I was hiding. I'm gay and didn't want anyone to know that I was," Wright says in her video package intro. "Country music has been described about being about God and family and country and for some reason people think you can't be gay and have those beliefs. That's why I have to do this. I have to be one to step forward."
"Today" anchor Natalie Morales asks Chely about praying as a little girl, "Please God, please don't let me be gay. I promise to be a good person" and Chely says that country music has never had a musician acknowledge that he or she is gay and she has wanted to be a country artist since she was 4 years old, so she knew she had to hide that she was gay.
"Country music ... our fanbase is conservative. Our industry, the people who run it, is conservative," Chely explains. She also details dealing with rumors and having to deny it and lie about it and how she hit rock bottom, which is when she started writing her book. "I had a 9 mm gun in my mouth. I was taking inventory in my life ... I was living a secret life ... I gave up hope and I was ready to take my own life."
Eventually she prayed for guidance and felt she needed to tell the truth.
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I'm sure it was rough for her-but she needs to stop saying there had never been another country artist who acknowledged being gay because it's just not true.
Well, Jay who would that be? Anyone who remotely has had a hit wouldn't come out. I can't even remember anyone at all.
KD Lang started her career as a country artist and came out as a lesbian. She has stated numerous times that she was shocked at how accepting the industry was and the fact that country radio continued to play her music. She is also included in CMT's greatest women in country music list. She's known for being more pop music now, but she WAS country and it did happen. I know there hasn't been anyone recently.
Doesn't matter whether she is gay or not. Still a human being and a damn good singer. Makes no dip to me. :-)
I am sorry, but this is totally a publicity stunt for an artist who hasn't put out anything of value in years. Yes, she is gay. Most people have known that for a good while. But she is also a brilliant marketer. I don't care that she is gay, but it is a bit timely to come out now, when you are barely on a label and no one is buying your records... Just sayin
why are we so proud of someone trying to lead our young people into a life of heartache, and pain. Read the facts, and stats on a life lived as a homosexual its is not a lifestyle we should be advocating to young people or adults for that matter. Get the facts, not the hype!
I agree with the facts TRUTH, but learn something about PR. I imagine you might be pretty opinionated on this matter, but I humbly advise you to not assume you're the expert on this unless you have in fact struggled with it or maybe have a degree in psych. And if you think explaining it to someone as you have in that post is going to change the mind of someone dealing with this or who personally knows someone who is, you're wrong. Because for most people, a personal experience will always trump a fact.
ps- facts say that parents will have a greater effect on a youth becoming gay over a random country singer.
Don - you're ignorant!
Sorry not Don - whomever "truth" is - you're ignorant.