Country star Chely Wright is best known for her hits "Single White Female" and "Shut Up and Drive." She is also a top-notch songwriter in her own right. Through her songs, Wright feels the freedom to write and record songs that mean something to her. She is willing to fully share with listeners what she is about. Wright wrote eight of the 12 songs on her sixth album, The Metropolitan Hotel, including the emotionally moving single "The Bumper of My S.U.V." The song spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart and touched the hearts of deployed U.S. military and their families around the world.
Wright's music has garnered many accolades and awards from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. She received the Academy of Country Music's Best New Female Artist Award in 1995. She was featured in People as one of the magazine's 50 most beautiful people in 2001.
Wright finds even greater fulfillment through her many charitable endeavors. In addition to her talents as an artist and performer, Wright is known for her integrity, business savvy and personal contributions. Her foundation, Reading, Writing & Rhythm, which she founded in 1999 following the Columbine tragedy, raises money to benefit music education in public schools across America and has approached the $1million mark in funds raised for this cause.
In 2003, Wright was named Woman of the Year by the American Legion Auxiliary and Kansan of the Year for her career achievements, charity work and support of the U.S. armed forces. She was recognized by MENC in 2001 with its Stand Up For Music Award and in 2002, she was presented with the organization's Fame Award for her work with her Reading, Writing and Rhythm Foundation.
Coming from a military family,Wright's lifelong support of the troops began with performances at Veteran's Hospitals and military funerals during her childhood. During recent years, she has traveled all over the world to entertain deployed troops, including performances in Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Germany, Iraq and remote military outposts in Afghanistan.
Latest CD
Lifted Off the Ground