Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer
by Chely Wright
by Chely Wright
Pages: 304
Goodreads synopsis: From her childhood in Wellsville, Kansas, high school homecoming queen, determining at a young age to become a country music star, being cast in Country Music USA Opryland, making a pact with God—to keep her “sinning” to a minimum if he’d get her to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry—and her dream coming true at eighteen…
She writes about the record contracts and bus tours; the concerts and TV videos; the critical acclaim and industry awards; the #1 hits on the Billboard charts; the fans; the friendships and the working collaborations with Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, and others…
We see the vortex of success taking its toll on her life, and then her finding a new voice in her music, with music flowing naturally from her that never came so easily.
Like Me is a book of revelation: honest, inspiring and true.
My thoughts: Admittedly, I’m not the biggest country music fan. I like it okay, but I probably wouldn’t have picked this up if it weren’t for a couple of my friends. B & T had this sitting on their shelf and were talking one night about the Oprah episode where Chely came out. I hadn’t seen the episode, so they offered this to me.
Her writing style is very raw and very real. It’s easy to read, and it’s obvious that she wrote this to portray her feelings and not to become an acclaimed novelist. I wasn’t a fan of how she wrote sometimes, because she tended to go on and on about some points but be very choppy with others. The great thing about this story was just that: the story. It’s a story of overcoming obstacles and finding yourself. I think we can all benefit from that. Wright has done a ton to further music education and take a stand for teens who are being bullied. I salute her for that.
Overall, this was a quick, enlightening read. Check it out if you’re in the market for a non-preachy inspirational biography.