Country music singer Chely Wright has announced she is a lesbian.

The 39-year-old, known for 1990s singles ‘Shut Up and Drive’ and ‘Single White Female’, told People magazine she “hid everything” because she was worried her sexuality would alienate her from the conservative country music community.

“There had never, ever been a country music artist who had acknowledged his or her homosexuality,” she said.

“I wasn’t going to be the first.”

She added: “Nothing in my life has been more magical than the moment I decided to come out.”

Wright releases her new album Lifted off the Ground and memoir Like Me later this week.

Comments are closed.