Richell Rene "Chely" Wright (/ˈʃɛli ˈraɪt/; born October 25, 1970) is an American country music singer and gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music (ACM) named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive". Two years later, her fourth album yielded a number one single, the title track, "Single White Female".