[kcvl]

In her recently-released memoir, Like Me, country singer Chely Wright comes out — and takes a harsh stand against old colleague John Rich (of Big & Rich). The two performed together in a long-ago Opryland show, and, according to Wright, it was a comment from Rich about sexuality that pushed her over the edge. As she told Access Hollywood, “[John] said, ‘You’re not gay are you?!’ I said, ‘No, John, I’m not.’ He said, ‘Good, thank God.’ And that began a spiral for me. I had a meltdown shortly after that.”

Now, Access Hollywood has posted the following statement from Rich on their website: “I would never pass judgment on any friend of mine. I feel awful that, at this time in Chely’s life, my decade old comment — ‘Good, thank God’ — was taken the wrong way. I was clumsily trying to express my relief that even a country boy like me had a one-in-a-million chance of having a beer with a woman as talented and attractive as Chely. For years after that conversation, Chely invited me to perform at charity events. In all that time, I wish she would have said something directly to me before the book’s publicity tour, especially since some of the comments attributed to me in the book are not mine. But I am happy for her and only wish her the best in her personal and professional life.”

http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/05/05/john-rich-responds-to-chely-wright/

[kcvl]

Chely Wright, Bumper of My S.U.V. song...

******

Chely Wright Felt She Was in ‘Cultural Jeopardy’ if She Said She Was Gay

The singer tells Fox411.com that she felt she wasn’t “allowed to be gay in Nashville.”

Country singer Chely Wright said she never thought she would be the first gay country music singer to come out of the closet.

“I just was certain I wouldn’t be the one,” she said in a taped interview with Fox411.com (WATCH VIDEO). “Somebody would be the first, and it would be neat if I were the fifth or the fourth or the third. And believe me I would loved to been able to just Twitter this information and say yup – I too am gay.”

So what kept her from coming out sooner? Wright, 39, said it was her belief that “you’re not allowed to be gay in Nashville.”

“I did know that I was in social jeopardy and cultural jeopardy, and that this was something I had to hide if I wanted to achieve my career dreams of being on the Grand Ole Opry stage,” she told Fox411.com. “As far as I knew, there had never been a man or a woman ... that made country music who had acknowledged his or her homosexuality.”

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/05/05/chely-wright-thought-id-openly-gay-country-singer/

[Rummyfan]

As she told Access Hollywood, “[John] said, ‘You’re not gay are you?!’ I said, ‘No, John, I’m not.’ He said, ‘Good, thank God.’ And that began a spiral for me. I had a meltdown shortly after that.”

Wow - she's a little thin-skinned isnt't she?

[BamaAndy]

I lose interest real quick when a celebrity is compelled to share where he/she puts her mouth to the public. I won’t be buying anything from her.