Customer Reviews

Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a fan of Chely Wright's since I first discovered country music in my teens. Since then she has somewhat fallen out of the spotlight but I was thrilled when I learned she was returning this month with a new album and a memoir.

While it is no surprise that her "coming out" was matched time-wise with the release of her album/book, I am happy to say the book is not a tell all ridiculous concoction of seemingly false or exaggerated encounters with famous and non-famous men and women. It is NOT about her life as a lesbian although this is an important part of her self. It's about much more than that.

The book is quite a read--very intriguing and extremely well written. Wright as a songwriter has a knack for poetic form to tell her story. Hers is one of a small town Kansan who moves to Nashville to follow her dreams. What a refreshing All-American story this is, and a reminder of why this country is so grand. I highly recommend.

All the press about Miss Wright's 'coming out' may obscure the fact that she has written an intensely personal and beautiful debut book. Along with her melodic singing voice, she has a beautiful literary voice and tells an all-American tale of dreams, delving and disappointment. She has had an amazing life full of courage and commitment and I applaud her for sharing it with all of us.

I have been a fan of Chely Wright since the 90's, I was excited to hear the news that she had a new album coming out. After hearing her very personal and courageous coming out story, I had to read her memoir. I too am a gay woman who has struggled with the fact and that I tried so hard to change but knew I couldn't. This book was so personal and I was able to really relate to many many things Chely wrote about regarding her internal struggle with accepting herself. I read the book in one day, I couldn't put it down. I want my family (especially my mother) to read this book to try and understand more of how I feel about myself and Chely wrote it beautifully. Her story will help many LGBT youth and adults and hopefully their families. Thank you Chely for your strength and courage, good luck with your journey.

This is probably the hardest thing I've ever sat down to review...

First off, I'm not one of those people reviewing as a Chely Wright fan. I used to listen to country music in the 90s, so I know who she is and have a few songs on my iPod. But I was not enough into her or her music to know about her personal life (i.e. dating Brad Paisley, rumors about being a lesbian, etc) or anything else beyond the few songs of hers that I happened to see videos for or hear on the radio. Point being, this review is not at all coming from a place of bias.

...The book is hilarious. It's not meant to be, but, for me, it has been. People have used the word "candid." That is about right. She's so candid, it's stunning and comical. There are parts where the book gets boring, but that's also about your personal interests and what you wanted to get out of the book. Personally, I was interested in reading about her relationships and her struggle with her sexuality, not necessarily an autobiography or about how much she respects people who serve in the military and such. But I knew it wouldn't all be about her personal life, and parts of those other stories are interesting. I especially love how she discusses the country music industry and her various experiences with other artists, how some of her romantic relationships actually came with women in that industry, her experience with some narrowminded show host in NY, etc.

You say "wow" out loud so many times with this book. Chely seems to be getting positive fan reaction, but I can tell from things she has written about in this book, how much she has bluntly stated about the country music industry and how narrowminded a lot of those people seem to be, that as much as coming out as a lesbian probably hurts her with the *industry* or at least particular people in it...once word gets around about some of the things in this book, the book probably will add to that in some ways. Some of it comes off as vindictive, to be honest. Still, some of the things she had the guts/"balls" to put out there just made me laugh out loud from being so stunned that I had just read it. She also kind of goes off on rants about what people think about gays and/or overthinks it, and she even stops and compares it to interracial marriage being illegal back in the day and cites the Loving v Virginia case (which also blew my mind, considering this is a country singer/white female from a part of Kansas that was, no doubt, lily white, and, yeah...wasn't expecting her to care anything about interracial marriage being legal or not, sorry).

Chely is complex. I don't know if anyone else gets that from this book, but I do and it's fascinating--perhaps more fascinating than anything else about the book. She comes off good, but she also comes off badly at the same time. She puts herself out there. You can tell she's pretty weak, especially considering the ridiculous romantic relationships/women she has settled for. She comes off desperate because of that, as well. Some situations are very detailed and others aren't, and you have to wonder if that's a function of her not being a writer or if it's by design. It's not totally clear why her relationship with her parents has been the way it has been. She seems to want us to believe her mother is a "bad guy," but it's not totally clear why, for example.

Chely also seems to want to paint herself as the typical good little conservative (in personality), Midwestern female--very good morals and values and faith in the Lord, loves the troops and all that typical stuff you'd associate with a country music artist...yet, she writes about sleeping with a married woman for years and years like it's no big thing, and then writes about another relationship with this drunk bulimic (and flatout writes that she had sex at the back of her tour bus with Paisley). Furthermore, she writes about the married woman being "the love of [her] life," and at times after the relationship it seems like she still has feelings for this woman (maybe even now)...and yet--I don't know if anyone else reading this book felt like this, but--I'm sitting there like, "what is the matter with you??" The married woman seemed self-centered, jealous and, at times, like she flatout didn't care about Chely, the way Chely describes their relationship. Very intriguing stuff, especially in terms of being the way she'd like us to believe and then being attracted to the kind of women she was into it and what she was willing to put up with from these women. She's one of those people who is very intelligent but doesn't at all seem like it when picking partners.
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Conclusion: I could write all night about this book, but to end...let me just add that someone advised I not buy this book at full price when I asked if it was worth it. I bought it for the Kindle application on the iPod Touch, and it was about $10. I bought some other books, as well. This is the one book I couldn't "put down." I don't know about anyone else, but I leave the book just feeling and thinking a range of tangled feelings/thoughts about Chely. It's like the more I read what is essentially her autobiography, the more curious I become about her and the more questions I have. It's better than any work of fiction could come up with, and I would certainly pay full price for this book. In most spots, despite the lack of details in some parts (vs the "I can't believe she went there" details in others), it is surprisingly well-written...and even if you're not a Chely Wright fan, an incredible read.

Who would have thought that an unbelievably talented, bright, country girl from Kansas would be harboring such a painful and debilitating secret? That is just the point that Chely Wright is trying to make with her new memoir, "Like Me." Driven to silence and shame by the conservative community that she grew up in, Chely Wright struggled with her homosexuality from childhood on. In this powerful account of her lifelong battle, Chely shows us how stereotypes, intolerance, and ignorance can deplete a person and drive them to take extreme measures to avoid having to face the painful truth.

Chely has mentioned that her coming out may ultimately end her career in country music. I beg to differ; anyone who picks up this book or listens to her new album can have nothing but respect for her work. Country music fans seek honesty and passion in their words and music, and that is exactly what Chely Wright delivers. Chely's honesty is admirable to say the least; her memoir will enlighten those with a more conservative mindset, and will comfort those who are struggling with their own personal battles. Harboring a secret of your own? You will not feel alone after reading this book.

Years ago I read Mel White's controversial memoir "Stranger at the Gate" where he attempts to reconcile his homosexuality with his Christian faith. So when I saw Chely Wright's "Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer," I wanted to get the female perspective on this issue. Both authors have crafted fascinating insights into their personal and professional struggles as gays in conservative milieus, although I was ultimately confused by their commitment to a religion that disparages them.

Both followed a somewhat similar path to self-realization, feeling homosexual leanings at an early age and struggling to suppress these urges with prayer and by grasping onto romantic relationships with the "appropriate" gender. Mr. White eventually got married; Ms. Wright publicly dated men such as fellow country singer Brad Paisley. In addition, each of them held high places in occupations that demand a conservative lifestyle - he in the ministry, she in the country music industry. After failing in their efforts to change (or craft a double life), they ultimately came out to less-than-sympathetic peers and audiences as gay believers in God while leaving behind angry, hurt, and confused members of the opposite sex (and to be fair, gaining loving support from sympathetic family and friends).

When I read Mr. White's book back in the late 1990s I was a committed evangelical Christian trying to make sense of a hot-button topic in the Church. However, I went through "Like Me" in 2010 as an atheist who left the faith three years ago after finally losing the dubious ability to reconcile Christianity with rationality and personal experience. As for these two authors, somehow they manage to still believe that God exists and cares about them. In Mr. White's case he adopted a liberal view of Scripture that doesn't condemn homosexuality, while Ms. Wright simply feels in her heart that God loves her as she is. I wonder how they can still embrace religion at all after experiencing so much condemnation, but I understand how difficult it is to shake a dearly held and deeply ingrained belief system.

At any rate, "Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer" is an intriguing and plainly-written story of a woman's struggle to fit into a conservative subculture so she can do what she loves while figuring out her identity. I recommend reading this book with Mel White's "Stranger at the Gate" for a male's account of a similar journey. If you're Christian and/or conservative you may be dismayed by their actions and disagree with their conclusions, but both stories will challenge your thinking, and that's a key aspect of any book.

I have to say, I debated on buying the book when I looked for the CD, Lifted Off The Ground. I am glad I reconsidered. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I can't put it down and am so happy that the book flowed the way it did, short chapters that kept you interested. I really understand now how it must feel to grow up feeling like you are gay. I really feel sympathy for those who feel "different." I hate for this book to end. I will be sad when I am done reading it. Chely really helped me understand, better, that it is not a choice. I wish others could get it too. I wish I could give Chely a long hug and tell her not to worry about her career. I will find out which CD's I already have that are hers and order the rest of them. I also wish Chely could meet my mother. She is the mother of 13 children, but has room in her heart to love you too. I wish Chely well with her awesome father. He really touched me when he spoke on the Oprah show. He reminded me of any father in his 60's. How honest he was. Thank you.

Chely Wright, country singer and now author. I am amazed when someone inexperienced can sit down and write a book, but not just a book, this one is open, honest, heartfelt and marvelous. If you have struggled with any issue read this book and feel the honest pain. This is an incredible coming out book. Hard to believe she isn't an experienced author. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I don't usually read celebrity autobiographies, but I was intrigued by this author's story. The book did not disappoint. It was a moving and extremely honest autobiography, well-written and well-edited.

I bought this book in support of Chely. I have been a fan for many years -- since 'Shut up and Drive'-- and I know it took an immense amount of courage and personal resolve to write this book. I was moved to tears many times while I read it... my heart ached for her struggles in her relationship with Julia... as well as the heartache and hiding she had to endure for living her life in the closet.

Her book is VERY well written and I hope that those that are struggling with issues about homosexuality and being gay (issues that are their own or someone they love) take a moment to look into the mind and heart of Chely Wright by reading this book. She's acutely articulate of both the struggle of being gay and what it means to her and I'm deeply moved by her story.