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Country Singer Chely Wright Reveals She's Gay
RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:
Unidentified Man #2: Well, whatever it is, she's a really big star and she's gay.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW)
MONTAGNE: Selena Simmons-Duffin has more on the country music star.
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SELENA SIMMONS: Chely Wright is 39 years old and has been making albums for nearly two decades. This week she's publishing a new memoir. She's got a new album, a promotional tour and a documentary about her is set to hit theaters in the fall - leaving some asking: Is this a publicity stunt?
CHELY WRIGHT: Well, I can't put a memoir about my coming out out before I come out. Can I? Probably not.
SIMMONS: That's Chely Wright.
HOWARD BRAGMAN: We're very realistic.
SIMMONS: And that's her publicist, Howard Bragman. He's been managing celebrities who want to come out of the closet for about 20 years.
BRAGMAN: If Chely Wright were to sit on "The Today Show" and say, hey, I'm Chely Wright and I'm gay, they'd go, wow, that's great. Who are you? You know...
SIMMONS: Bragman decided to take the opportunity and build the suspense. So instead of saying who are you, audiences would say, oh, you're the mystery gay celebrity.
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BRAGMAN: It's a longer runway, if you will.
SIMMONS: But just in case you're still wondering who she is, maybe you remember this song.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SINGLE WHITE FEMALE")
WRIGHT: (Singing) ...single white female just looking for a man like you.
SIMMONS: In her new album, "Lifted Off the Ground," she's singing, yes, a very different tune.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG)
WRIGHT: (Singing) And who's going to end up holding your hand? A beautiful woman or a tall handsome man...
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SIMMONS: Wright says her experiences with homophobia in the country music world convinced her to stay closeted throughout her career.
WRIGHT: There's a reason no one's ever done this before me. They want you to be anything but gay. They would rather you be a drug addict, a wife beater, anything but this.
SIMMONS: So to the critics that say this is just a stunt, Howard Bragman says get a grip.
BRAGMAN: Gee, that's a real career maker in country music, to come out of the closet and put your fan base at risk.
SIMMONS: Still, he adds...
BRAGMAN: What a lot of the attention we're trying to get will hopefully do is help new people discover Chely and her amazing voice.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG)
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WRIGHT: (Singing) Dare to different, dare to be true...
SIMMONS: For NPR News, I'm Selena Simmons-Duffin.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG)
WRIGHT: (Singing) ...like we've always done, across from the wreckage and walk in the sun, fanning the flames (unintelligible)...
MONTAGNE: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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