Hal & Ginger Willis

After paying her dues on the Canadian country club circuit, fronting the bands: Wild Oats and Drivin’ Wheel, Michelle Wright was signed to a recording and management pact with Brian Ferriman and his Savannah Records label, launching her recording career in 1986. Michelle quickly became one of Canada’s most prolific hit-makers with more than 50 charted singles and a series of best-selling albums on the Savannah, Arista/BMG and Icon labels.

By the early 1990s, Michelle became an international recording star, charting 10 singles on the Billboard Country Hit Charts including her 1992 signature song, ‘Take It Like A Man’ which reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Charts.

Michelle’s recording career and high-profile performance achievements were richly rewarded, being named the ‘Top New Female Vocalist’ by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) in 1992, ‘Country Female Vocalist’ by the Juno Awards in 1993 and 1995, and has won multiple CCMA Awards for ‘Single of the Year’, ‘Album of the Year’, and ‘Video of the Year’ during the 1990s, as well as a five-time winner of the CCMA’s ‘Female Vocalist of the Year’ and the ‘Fans’ Choice Award’ winner in 1993 and 1995.

Michelle hosted the 1995 Canadian Country Music Awards Broadcast, televised live from Hamilton; was the subject of two television specials: “Michelle” aired in 1992, and “Michelle Wright: Songs and Secrets” aired in 1996; guested on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”; and has appeared on various internationally televised award shows and TV specials; as well as a 1998 guest appearance in the Canadian TV series, “Due South”.

In 2012, Michelle was awarded with The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions to Canadian culture and civic life. In the same year she released, ‘Strong’, which did not go unnoticed by her peers as in both 2012 and 2013 she was nominated for the CCMA’s ‘Female Artist of the Year’.