 "Life is a gift," says Michelle Wright, "and I'm learning that our spirit and intuition hold the answers to all our questions." Intuition played a large part in Michelle's choice of songs for The Reasons Why, her latest Arista release. Each reflects a part of her spirit and allows her to share that gift. Michelle's parents were both country performers, and as a young girl she tagged along on countless jobs in and around her small Canadian hometown. "We never were a family band, but I got a lot of inspiration and encouragement from my mother. That's where my love of country music really began." By her mid-teens Michelle was playing in local bands. After high school she toured the U.S. and Canada, and in 1988 released her first Canadian album. Michelle's popularity in her homeland grew steadily through records and live appearances. Her powerful voice and solid style eventually came to the attention of Arista Records, and Michelle became one of the first artists signed to the label in Nashville. Her 1990 self-titled debut album drew rave reviews, and her second album Now and Then produced the haunting "He Would Be Sixteen" and the Top 10 hit "Take It Like A Man." The Academy of Country Music (ACM) named Michelle its Top New Female Vocalist in May of 1993, and she was also catapulted to superstardom in Canada the same year, receiving a total of twelve music industry awards including the Canadian Country Music Associations' (CCMA) Fan Choice Entertainer of the Year award and double platinum honors for Now & Then.
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