Biography
Originating from Weirton, Virginia in the United States, Staley works as a singer-songwriter who has penned tracks for artists including Faith Hill on the songs ‘Take Me As I Am’ and ‘Let’s Go To Vegas’, as well as contributions to recordings by Patty Loveless and Tracy Byrd such as ‘Keeper Of The Stars’. Her childhood unfolded in Georgetown, Pennsylvania, where she attributes her pull toward music to the tedium of Methodist church gatherings her parents required her to attend. Rather than remaining detached, she immersed herself in John Wesley’s Methodist hymnals and adopted him as her primary influence once songwriting began. Employment at the Burlington Children’s Home for the underprivileged in the Appalachian mountains soon overshadowed any performing ambitions. Following her college years she obtained an agreement with a contemporary Christian label based in Los Angeles, yet the firm collapsed prior to any releases. She nevertheless claimed victory in the Wheeling Jamboree talent competition, which led to opening slots alongside Roy Clark and the Judds. October 1984 marked her move to Nashville. Kathy Mattea directed her toward Bob Doyle at ASCAP—later manager for Garth Brooks—who in turn connected her with multiple publishers, yielding a staff publishing agreement within thirty days. Initial major successes arrived via Patty Loveless with ‘Lonely Days, Lonely Nights’ and ‘Wicked Ways’. After cementing her reputation as a writer she joined MCA Records, only to lose direction once Universal absorbed the company. She therefore shifted to Warner Brothers Records, earning strong critical acclaim for the 1998 release Fearless, her first project on that imprint.
Albums
