Chely Wright

Named “Top New Female Vocalist” by The Academy of Country Music, Chely Wright rose to fame as a commercial country singer in the nineties, and has since released nine studio albums and charted more than fifteen singles on the Billboard charts, including “Shut Up and Drive,” “Single White Female,” and “The Bumper of My S.U.V.” In 2010, Wright released her eighth album, Lifted Off the Ground produced by Rodney Crowell, revealing a dramatic artistic transformation and emerging as a singer-songwriter of the first order. Chely 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. She’s written songs for film, TV, and for other artists, spanning multiple genres. Upon coming out, Wright endeavored into advocacy and corporate engagement around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Wright 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 (GLSEN) Board of Directors, which is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students.