Artist info:
Also known as
Verified yes
Rank3,984 (new)
Albums11
Songs88
About Chely Wright was born October 25, 1970, in Kansas City,
Missouri, and raised in Wellsville, Kansas, to an "economically
challenged" household. Her passion for music was instilled at
an early age, having grown up in a family of four-generation
musicians, and raised in a home with music emanating from
every corner.
Chely Wright inked her first recording contract with
Mercury/Polygram and then moved over to MCA where she
enjoyed golden success.
Being on a major label was a gift and a dream. I got to
record five albums, see the world (visiting 24 countries) and
play in front of thousands of fans. The experience was a
blessing, and a curse. Regrettably, I really felt like I got
caught up in the 'machine'." Over the course of time, Chely
felt her personal return diminished and her efforts as an artist
non-apparent. "I felt like I was on a train. The label was the
conductor; I was the passenger.. Excited in the journey, I
threw my things in a bag and jumped on board. Looking
back, I feel I forfeited the opportunity and time to actually be
creative during the course of the trip. I'm not sure I packed
the right things (in my bag). The right songs for example:
Sometimes the 'right' songs don't get to you before the train
is 'scheduled' to board. Everything from my tour schedule to
my album release were all part of a preconceived inflexible schedule--or based on other artist projects--I was part of a
plan, a schedule,part of the machine.
Where She's Been
Resisting corporate pressure and defying public demand,
Chely got off the train, disengaged from the machine and
took a self-imposed sabbatical. ''I passed on 85 show dates
and left myself wide open to the very possibility radio and the
fans may not understand nor accept my departure. But, I
took the time to make the investment in myself--and had to
keep telling myself, 'it's okay.' I spent the time to take
personal inventory--as an artist and as a person. I felt like I
had to return to the reasons I wanted to do this in the first
place. And decide,did I want to go back?''
Chely took a year and a half to "work" on her next project.
The definition of "work" didn't mean merely to spend her time
writing songs and recording in the studio. "I wanted to work
on me--the whole package--to rediscover who I am as a
person and who I want to be as an artist. I spent a lot of
alone time. I took time to really listen to every record I ever
made. I pulled out old demos I had recorded a number of
years ago. I listened to music recorded by other artists. I
picked and played a little guitar. I wrote for the exercise of
writing from a pure place with no deadlines, no direction, no
submission quota, no preconceptions as to what the label or
radio wants to hear. I wrote from within." Chely allowed
herself the time to rediscover who she is as an artist and as a
person; to return to herself, find the place where she wanted
to be and,head there.
Not that Chely totally removed herself from her passion to
perform. During the interim, she traveled last year to the
Middle East with the USO in the diverse company of Kid Rock,
John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Nappy Roots and
others. She performed in Iraq, Korea, Kuwait, Holland and
Switzerland. Chely also lent her talents to perform at a star-
studded Fourth of July Concert broadcast live on PBS from
the lawn of the Capitol in Washington, DC, joining the Irish
Tenors, the Pointer Sisters, the Fifth Dimension and the
National Symphony Orchestra.
Chely also spent some time to co-write with friends. She
co-wrote the recent hit single "I Can't Sleep" with country
performer Clay Walker and recorded a duet co-written with
Brad Paisley entitled "Hard To Be A Husband, Hard To Be A
Wife." Chely and Paisley performed the duet as part of the
Grand Ole Opry's 75th anniversary celebration; the single
was added to the Grand Ole Opry's 75th Anniversary
Compilation CD.
Missouri, and raised in Wellsville, Kansas, to an "economically
challenged" household. Her passion for music was instilled at
an early age, having grown up in a family of four-generation
musicians, and raised in a home with music emanating from
every corner.
Chely Wright inked her first recording contract with
Mercury/Polygram and then moved over to MCA where she
enjoyed golden success.
Being on a major label was a gift and a dream. I got to
record five albums, see the world (visiting 24 countries) and
play in front of thousands of fans. The experience was a
blessing, and a curse. Regrettably, I really felt like I got
caught up in the 'machine'." Over the course of time, Chely
felt her personal return diminished and her efforts as an artist
non-apparent. "I felt like I was on a train. The label was the
conductor; I was the passenger.. Excited in the journey, I
threw my things in a bag and jumped on board. Looking
back, I feel I forfeited the opportunity and time to actually be
creative during the course of the trip. I'm not sure I packed
the right things (in my bag). The right songs for example:
Sometimes the 'right' songs don't get to you before the train
is 'scheduled' to board. Everything from my tour schedule to
my album release were all part of a preconceived inflexible schedule--or based on other artist projects--I was part of a
plan, a schedule,part of the machine.
Where She's Been
Resisting corporate pressure and defying public demand,
Chely got off the train, disengaged from the machine and
took a self-imposed sabbatical. ''I passed on 85 show dates
and left myself wide open to the very possibility radio and the
fans may not understand nor accept my departure. But, I
took the time to make the investment in myself--and had to
keep telling myself, 'it's okay.' I spent the time to take
personal inventory--as an artist and as a person. I felt like I
had to return to the reasons I wanted to do this in the first
place. And decide,did I want to go back?''
Chely took a year and a half to "work" on her next project.
The definition of "work" didn't mean merely to spend her time
writing songs and recording in the studio. "I wanted to work
on me--the whole package--to rediscover who I am as a
person and who I want to be as an artist. I spent a lot of
alone time. I took time to really listen to every record I ever
made. I pulled out old demos I had recorded a number of
years ago. I listened to music recorded by other artists. I
picked and played a little guitar. I wrote for the exercise of
writing from a pure place with no deadlines, no direction, no
submission quota, no preconceptions as to what the label or
radio wants to hear. I wrote from within." Chely allowed
herself the time to rediscover who she is as an artist and as a
person; to return to herself, find the place where she wanted
to be and,head there.
Not that Chely totally removed herself from her passion to
perform. During the interim, she traveled last year to the
Middle East with the USO in the diverse company of Kid Rock,
John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Nappy Roots and
others. She performed in Iraq, Korea, Kuwait, Holland and
Switzerland. Chely also lent her talents to perform at a star-
studded Fourth of July Concert broadcast live on PBS from
the lawn of the Capitol in Washington, DC, joining the Irish
Tenors, the Pointer Sisters, the Fifth Dimension and the
National Symphony Orchestra.
Chely also spent some time to co-write with friends. She
co-wrote the recent hit single "I Can't Sleep" with country
performer Clay Walker and recorded a duet co-written with
Brad Paisley entitled "Hard To Be A Husband, Hard To Be A
Wife." Chely and Paisley performed the duet as part of the
Grand Ole Opry's 75th anniversary celebration; the single
was added to the Grand Ole Opry's 75th Anniversary
Compilation CD.
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