Archive

A Quickie with Chely Wright

What does Chely Wright have in common with Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Ke$ha (other than all being powerhouse performers)? Well, this year, Chely will join the list of headliner music acts that have performed at The Dinah, Club Skirts’ epic girl party in the desert. That’s right, Palm Springs, CA is going country this year.

It may be colder than Callie Torres’ bed right now, but I promise you, my layered and bundled snow bunnies, sun-kissed thighs, tight bikinis and some rockin’ country music are in your future if you make your way to The Dinah this year. To hold you over until then, we chatted with everyone’s Ms. Wright about things you may not know about her. Like her penchant for picking up strangers. Her ideas about the future of social networking. And her reaction to the New Years resolutions we suggested for her.

AfterEllen.com: Happy New Year! How are you?

Chely Wright: Great.

AE: How was your 2010? Do anything interesting, Chely?

CW: [laughs] It was pretty momentous, emotional, and very dynamic. I was just happy to finally be out and do the advocacy work that I planned on doing, to be able to put some of those things into action. But more importantly, just be able to live my life and be proud and out. What a great experience to be free. I get it now.

AE: Do you think the country music community will ever be OK with gay and lesbian artists in their midst?

CW: Well, eventually, it has to happen. There’s a law of entropy, there’s a law of “everything changes,” ya know? Eventually, maybe in 20 years.

AE: That long?

CW: I mean, nobody followed me out of the closet, did they?

AE: You know how the black community invented the “down-low”? Maybe in country closets, it should be called the “ho-down-low.”

CW: That is awesome.

AE: That could be a new term in 2011. How was your New Years?

CW: My New Years was good and relaxed. I had a hard time staying up ’til midnight. [laughs] But it was good. I was in Vermont. There was a lot of snow up there and it was really gorgeous. 

AE: What did you do to ring in the new?

CW: Let’s see. I played Scrabble. We ate. I did not ski. I don’t ski. Took the dogs to the dog park. Just sort of chilled out. I was with friends, a few couples, and we just kind of hung out and cooked. We’re not big drinkers, so we all had half a glass of wine and we were ready for bed.

AE: Sounds perfect to me. Guess what? We were both caught in the New York City Christmas blizzard.

CW: I got home [to New York City] on Christmas night. And everyone kept saying, “We’ve got snow coming our way.” I didn’t know what everyone was talking about. And wham! The next day, at noon, just like the weatherman said, snow came in.

AE: Yeah. How did you survive it?

CW: I’ve lived in New York for a couple of years, but that was just apocalyptic. And I have a four-wheel drive SUV. I drove somebody home two days after the storm and there were people standing on the street corner trying to get rides from strangers. I ended up picking up a couple of people with luggage.

AE: Really?

CW: Yes! I stopped and asked if they needed a ride. They had four pieces of luggage and couldn’t get a ride from anybody. It took 30 minutes to go two miles. It was one of those unifying New York moments. It was really something.

AE: Did they know who you were?

CW: No. I was just some lady in an SUV who gave them a ride.

AE: That would make a great reality show: Celebrity Cabs Rides. What else did you do when you weren’t driving around Manhattan, rescuing strangers?

CW: I was lucky to be home with a big pot of soup, movies and a guitar. I had friends over, so it was fun to have a storm party.

AE: In a few months, winter will be a distance memory. In fact, it’s going to get pretty hot because you’re performing at The Dinah for the first time. What have you heard about it and how psyched are you to play for a huge, exclusively lesbian audience?

CW: Before I came out, I’d never heard about the Dinah. After I came out… well, that’s another story. It seemed that every lesbian I met around the country said to me, “You should play the Dinah!” I’m really excited to play such a festive event.

AE: Festive. That’s one way to describe it.

CW: I’ve heard nothing but great things. I’m bringing my entire band and we’re gonna have a blast!

AE: Do you think it will differ from a “regular” show because the audience’s common denominator is their super duper gayness, and not a shared love of a specific music genre?

CW: Well, it’s not that unusual to play for large crowds who have a thread of commonality. For example, when you play in Houston, you’re pretty much playing to a bunch of Texans and there’s a bond that forms within the audience. There’s a connectivity. I fully expect the Dinah audience to be “one” like that. When that does happen, when that bond is forged, it’s cool and the energy is uncontainable.

AE: Well, I’m looking forward to it! Hey, did you know your tweet parties with other celesbians are kind of legendary.

CW: They are?

AE: Sure! It’s fun for fans to “eavesdrop” on celebrities talking to their celebrity friends. You’re good at teasing your friends. It sounds flirty. Who’s your current Twitter crush?

CW: Well, Linda Perry and I write songs together, so she’s a friend. And Kristin [Chenoweth] and I are good friends. But crush? I don’t think I have a crush on anyone. I have a crush on my girlfriend!

AE: Who’s your girlfriend?

CW: Well, she’s not a celebrity. She’s a businesswoman, here in New York.

AE: Good thinking.

CW: [laughs] But I like to keep up with fans and Twitter is good for that. I had a couple of gals yesterday that wrote, “If Chely Wright would tweet me back, I would dance in the streets.” So, I wrote back, “Tweet, tweet.”

It’s fun. It’s the social network of the day. I’m sure they’re developing the next new thing. What will the next one be?

AE: It’s going to get more and more micro until it’s just one word blurbs like “ha,” and “ew,” or “yowza.”

CW: [laughs] I know, right? Or just a smiley face.

AE: Right, just emoticons. Oy. Did you see Social Network?

CW: I did not, but I heard it was great.

AE: You should see it. You’ll like it.

CW: Wasn’t Justin Timberlake in it?

AE: Yes.

CW: Justin’s neat. I like him.

AE: He could have been just a boy band Flavor of the Month, but it turns out, he can act. And, he’s funny!

CW: Oh, gosh, when he’s on Saturday Night Live, he’s hilarious!

AE: Do you have any acting aspirations?

CW: Not really. I did a Disney movie, but not really. I think I would have to love it, like I love music. And with acting, you have to stand around too much and wait. I don’t like that.

AE: I can see how that would drive someone like you bananas.

CW: You know what? I might enjoy musical theater.

AE: Oh, yeah!

CW: That could be fun, right?

AE: Totally fun. Hold on. You should write a musical.

CW: That would be fun.

AE: Make that a 2011 resolution: Write a musical.

CW: OK, I’m on it!

AE: [laughs] Do you make New Years resolutions?

CW: I don’t.

AE: Because…

CW: I don’t know, I think people set themselves up for failure. 

AE: Well, you can do what I do, and set the bar really low.

CW: I like to set goals from myself, year-round. But if I had a resolution, I wouldn’t say it what it is, because I wouldn’t ever want to fail.

AE: You don’t want to jinx it by saying it out loud? Like a birthday candle wish?

CW: Right.

AE: I can give you some New Years resolutions, if I may be so bold.

CW: OK, what do you got?

AE: You will continue to drive around Manhattan, rescuing strangers and their luggage.

CW: I like that.

AE: You will write your Broadway musical.

CW: I’m on it.

AE: I would like you to do a duet with Bruce Springsteen.

CW: Oh my god. You don’t even know how much I would love that. I love Bruce Springsteen.

AE: Oh, here’s an easy one. Continue to be awesome.

CW: Continue to be awesome! Let’s both continue to be awesome.

AE: Done. And that’s all I have right now.

CW: Well, if I did have a New Years resolution, it would be to bookmark AfterEllen.com and check in, every day.

AE: What do you mean? You haven’t already done that?

CW: You know what? I’m going to do it right now.

AE: Go on. I’ll wait.

CW: Done.

AE: And don’t forget to hit “refresh” every few hours.

CW: I meet so many people at bookstores and such, who go to AfterEllen. Your readership is really large. I appreciate how great you guys are to me!

You can catch Chely at The Dinah on Friday, April 1, 2011, in Palm Springs, CA, where she’ll be signing her book, Like Me, at the pool party, and taking the stage, later that evening. Get festive and see you there!

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button