On September 11, 1999, Chely Wright’s “Single White Female” climbed to the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Written by Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Shaye Smith, the song was the lead single and title track from Wright’s album, which was produced by Tony Brown, Buddy Cannon, and Norro Wilson.
Wright, born on October 25, 1970, in Kansas City, Mo., moved to Nashville in 1989 to pursue her dreams. She signed with Polydor and won the top new female vocalist award at the 30th Academy of Country Music Awards in 1995. After switching to MCA Nashville in 1997, “Single White Female” became her ninth appearance on the Hot Country Songs chart out of 17 from 1994 to 2005, and remains her only top 10 hit.
Tony Brown, then-president of MCA Nashville, recounted in 1997, “She called me for lunch, and said, ‘Would you be interested in me if I get free?’ You know, you look around town at every label and you sort of have your wish list of people who might become available. Nine times out of 10, it’s not the big headliners. But then you come to an artist who has been around for a couple of albums and is not quite established, but you know they’re just waiting for that break. This has happened to me several times before, with Steve Earle, Marty Stuart, Vince Gill. If you grab them at the right time, you can really slam a home run.”
Wright, known for her bravery, became the first openly gay artist in country music, revealing her story in her 2010 memoir, Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer, published by Random House.
She continues to advocate for gay rights, and remains active in touring and recording. Her latest album, Revival, was released in March 2019.
