| Michelle Wright | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 1 1961 |
| Origin |  Morpeth, Ontario |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer / Songwriter / Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1986 – Present |
| Label(s) | Savannah, Arista, Arista Nashville, Icon |
| Website | www.michelle-wright.com |
Michelle Wright (born July 1 1961 in Morpeth, Ontario) is a Canadian country music singer. She is one of the country's most widely recognised and awarded female country singers of the '90s, winning the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA) Fans' Choice Entertainer Of The Year Award twice in 1993 & 1995. Brian Ferriman of Savannah Music has been her manager for over 20 years.
Contents |
Career
Savannah Records (1986-1989)
Michelle Wright's first album, Do Right By Me, was released in 1988 on Savannah Records. The same year, Reba McEntire recorded the title track and included it on her self-titled album, Reba, along with the songs "I Wish I Were Only Lonely" and "New Fool At An Old Game." Reba's version of "New Fool At An Old Game" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Michelle also recorded "Rock Me Gently," originally written and recorded by Andy Kim in 1974, and included it on her debut album.
Arista Records (1990-2003)
Signed to Arista Records in 1990, Michelle had her first American country top 40 hit with "New Kind of Love" from her second album, Michelle Wright. She followed up with her most successful album to date, Now and Then, in 1992. The first single, "Take It Like A Man," was her first Billboard top 10 hit and the video reached #1 on Country Music Television (CMT). She scored her third Billboard top 40 hit with the album's third single, "He Would Be Sixteen." On the strength of "Take It Like A Man," Michelle went on to win the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Top New Female Vocalist in 1992, beating out fellow newcomers Martina McBride and Joy Lynn White. "Safe In The Arms Of Love," a track from 1994's The Reasons Why, was later recorded by Martina in 1995. "We've Tried Everything Else," a track found on both The Reasons Why and 1996's For Me It's You, was co-written by Pam Tillis and can be found on her 1992 album, Homeward Looking Angel. Michelle guest-starred in a 1998 episode of Due South called "Mountie Sings the Blues". She appeared as Canadian country singer Tracy Jenkins and performed her songs "Nobody's Girl" (with Fraser as her back-up singer) and "Every Time You Come Around". In 1999, Michelle released her first ever Greatest Hits compilation, simply titled The Greatest Hits Collection. The album was later released to the United States in January, 2000. It featured twelve singles covering her career from 1990-1996, two new songs ("When I Found You" and "I Surrender"), her gospel version of "People Get Ready," and "Walkin' After Midnight," a track recorded for Patsy Cline's Duets album. The U.S. version, simply titled Greatest Hits, featured only 10 songs. In early 2000, her collaboration with pianist Jim Brickman ("Your Love") became her first top 20 Adult Contemporary (AC) hit. In 2002, Michelle released Shut Up and Kiss Me. The single "I Surrender," originally recorded for her greatest hits, was also included on this album, but featured a more pop-oriented version of the song.
Icon Records (2005-present)
In 2005, Michelle Wright released her first ever holiday album, A Wright Christmas. Since then, she has released two singles off the album, "I Know Santa's Been Here" and "Joy to the World." She tours annually to support the album with the "I'm Dreaming of a Wright Christmas" tour. The album will be released on her management's label, Savannah Music, in the United States and Canada in 2007. In 2006, Michelle returned to the scene with her current country album, Everything and More. Six singles have been released from the album, "Everything and More," "Love Me Anyway," "I've Forgotten You," "Dance In The Boat," "Riding Around The Sun" and her current Canadian single, "I Don't Wanna Be That Strong." Also included on the album was "My Give a Damn's Busted," a song originally recorded by Joe Diffie and Jo Dee Messina. As of 2007, Michelle Wright has sold nearly 2 million albums and received over 30 major awards in both the United States and Canada.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN | US Country | |||
| 1988 | Do Right By Me | 32 | - | - | |
| 1990 | Michelle Wright | - | - | - | |
| 1992 | Now and ThenA | 2 | - | 20 | |
| 1994 | The Reasons Why | 3 | 44 | - | |
| 1996 | For Me It's You | 6 | - | 74 | |
| 1999 | The Greatest Hits Collection | 12 | - | - | |
| 2000 | Greatest Hits | - | - | - | |
| 2002 | Shut Up and Kiss Me | - | - | - | |
| 2005 | A Wright Christmas | - | - | - | |
| 2006 | Everything and More | - | - | - | |
- APeaked at #126 on Billboard 200 and #29 on Top Heatseekers.
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | US Country | |||
| 1986 | "I Want To Count On You" | 48 | - | Do Right By Me |
| 1987 | "New Fool At An Old Game" | 11 | - | |
| "None Of The Feeling Is Gone" (w/ Terry Carisse) | 13 | - | None Of The Feeling Is Gone (Terry Carisse album) | |
| 1988 | "The Rhythm Of Romance" | 27 | - | Do Right By Me |
| 1989 | "I Wish I Were Only Lonely" | 7 | - | |
| "Rock Me Gently" | 7 | - | ||
| "I Don't Want To Wonder" | 23 | - | ||
| 1990 | "New Kind Of Love" | 4 | 32 | Michelle Wright |
| "Woman's Intuition" | 14 | 72 | ||
| 1991 | "A Heartbeat Away"A | 21 | - | |
| "All You Really Wanna Do" | 9 | 73 | ||
| "Not Enough Love To Go 'Round" | 20 | - | ||
| 1992 | "Take It Like A Man" | 1 | 10 | Now and Then |
| "One Time Around" | 1 | 43 | ||
| "He Would Be Sixteen" | 3 | 31 | ||
| 1993 | "The Change" | 14 | 55 | |
| "If I'm Ever Over You" | 33 | - | ||
| "Guitar Talk" | 1 | - | ||
| 1994 | "Now and Then" | 9 | - | |
| "One Good Man" | 1 | 57 | The Reasons Why | |
| "The Wall" | 4 | - | ||
| 1995 | "Safe in the Arms of Love" | 4 | - | |
| 1996 | "Nobody's Girl" | 1 | 50 | For Me It's You |
| "Crank My Tractor" | 1 | - | ||
| 1997 | "The Answer Is Yes"A | 4 | - | |
| "What Love Looks Like" | 4 | - | ||
| "Your Love" (w/ Jim Brickman)B | 16 | 74 | Visions of Love (Jim Brickman album) | |
| 1999 | "When I Found You" | 5 | - | The Greatest Hits Collection |
| 2000 | "I Surrender" | 10 | - | |
| 2002 | "Shut Up and Kiss Me (Or Just Shut Up)" | - | - | Shut Up and Kiss Me |
| "Broken" | - | - | ||
| "I Will Be There" | - | - | ||
| 2003 | "Every Time You Come Around" | - | - | |
| 2005 | "Everything and More" | 27 | - | Everything and More |
| "I Know Santa's Been Here" | - | - | A Wright Christmas | |
| 2006 | "Love Me Anyway" | - | - | Everything and More |
| "I've Forgotten You" | 24 | - | ||
| "Joy To The World" | - | - | A Wright Christmas | |
| 2007 | "Dance In The Boat" | - | - | Everything and More |
| "Riding Around The Sun" | 33 | - | ||
| "I Don't Wanna Be That Strong"C | - | - | ||
- ASingles were also released in the US but failed to chart.
- B"Your Love" also peaked at #19 on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
- CCurrent single.
References
- Williams, Janet (1998). "Michelle Wright". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 600.
