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Brandy Clark is country music’s great lesbian hope

The country genre is generally seen as one of the least gay-friendly in music. Chely Wright has bemoaned the loss of her career in Nashville after coming out as a lesbian, and gay musician Steve Grand has found a fanbase on YouTube, but it doesn’t seem to translate into mainstream radio or Country Music Awards success. Things could be changing, though, or maybe it’s just that some talent is undeniable, no matter the person’s sexuality. Such seems to be the case for Brandy Clark, a 36-year-old singer-songwriter whose star is rising. She also happens to be an out lesbian.

Brandy made her network television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman last night, playing her single “Stripes,” a toe-tapping Johnny Cash-inspired ditty about going to prison over finding your lover in bed with someone else. (“You were lyin’ there with nothing on/But a goofy little grin and a platinum blonde.”)

“Stripes” is on Brandy’s full-length LP 12 Stories, which came out in October 2013, but she’s been writing hits for other artists since 2011, including Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Gretchen Wilson and Keith Urban. In the last year she was part of songwriting teams (with partners Jessie Jo Dillon and Shane McAnally) for tunes like “Mama’s Broken Heart” for Miranda Lambert and “Better Dig Two” for The Band Perry, the former of which had her nominated for Song of the Year at the CMAs and won Single of the Year: Female at the American Country Awards. (The latter was nominated for Single of the Year and Single of the Year: Duo or Group. Both were up for Song of the Year but lost to “Highway Don’t Care.”)

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