Country Star Coming Out?

[WindSpirit]

Newsweek has a good interview with her. http://www.newsweek.com/id/237409

The five reasons she gave for coming out are quite compelling, and they show what gay people have to struggle with on a daily basis. Some straight people have no idea, as some of the comments in this thread clearly show.


1. "I had a gun in my mouth. That's the most compelling reason. I was going to kill myself. In early 2006, during my breakdown, during a time I couldn't connect the dots, I took inventory of my life. I had been and always was a lesbian; I always knew it. I had always been hostage by my secret. [...]

5. "The day I decided to come out, I slept for the first time like a baby. I feel incredible. I'm so glad I titled my album Lifted Off the Ground. I really do feel lifted off the ground. I have no secret now. I feel like I'm floating. I'm so proud to be standing where I am today. This 24 hours of freedom—if everybody could feel it, I would bottle it up and FedEx it anyone on the planet."

I'm really happy for her, I hope more people will decide to live openly and it not longer will be considered newsworthy. It'll be normal.


Desperate actions for a washed up career? What some people will sell their souls for. :rolleyes: You're as clueless as you've ever been.

[FunnyBut]

Good for her for feeling comfortable enough to come out, but had she ever heard of K.D. Lang? Chely is not the groundbreaker.

[WindSpirit]

Good for her for feeling comfortable enough to come out, but had she ever heard of K.D. Lang? Is K.D. Lang considered a country singer?

Anyway, I don't think Chely wanted to be considered "groundbreaker" of any kind. Even if she wasn't technically first, it doesn't change the fact that country music it's still a very unwelcoming place for openly gay singers.

But the times are changing. Even Christian music singers are coming out (Jennifer Knapp)

[Andora]

Is K.D. Lang considered a country singer?



I don't think she is, nor was she when she came out. I also believe her career's always been a bit more unconventional than most. She wasn't tied in with such a conservative group, but I could be wrong. Just going on memory.

Good for Chely, whether she's a trailblazer or not. That takes serious courage.

[overedge]

I don't think she is, nor was she when she came out. I also believe her career's always been a bit more unconventional than most. She wasn't tied in with such a conservative group, but I could be wrong. Just going on memory.
.

She was more of a punk singer with a country gimmick, if that makes sense.
Because she was running around in cut-off cowboy boots and thrift-store cowgirl outfits, kind of making fun of the whole country girl singer idea, the country establishment wanted *nothing* to do with her (and this was long before she was officially out). Her audiences were mostly hipsters who didn't mind listening to country songs - especially kind of punked up ones - but who would never go to a real country show or buy a real country album.
If she didn't have such an amazing voice and hadn't done some incredible versions of country standards - and hadn't evolved past the punk-cowgirl thing - the country establishment would still be staying far away from her IMHO.....

[tarotx]

If Chely stays positive and true to herself this will help her career even though she didn't come out for that reason. Most country fans want you to be real as you sing true country songs. I'm not talking about the establishment but the fans. A lot of fans I know talked about how she didn't seem quite real and associated that with being a fake and seeming fake is something they hate.

[overedge]

Bumping this....this story is almost two years old, but how (possibly) true is this allegation that Sugarland dumped their original third member because she was "out"?

http://www.the9513.com/the-malec-minute-sugarland-lawsuit-sheds-light-on-halls-departure/