Kristin Chenoweth returns to country roots on new album, orginally feared 'I won't be accepted

Kristin Chenoweth has no problem being a pro-gay Christian. And to anyone who think that's a contradiction in terms, she says, "I don't judge you for your opinions, so please don't judge me for mine. In an interview with The Advocate to promote her new country album, Some Lessons Learned, the Broadway star explains, "I'm not out to tell people they're wrong. I'm just here to say what I believe. And she thinks she's not alone in her beliefs. "My family is very much like me. But I did grow up in the Bible belt — and you know what comes with that. My Grandma Chenoweth told me something when I was growing up. My gay best friend — I've talked about him many times, his name's Denny. I asked my Grandma Chenoweth, "How can it be that he's going to hell? I just don't think that correct." And she said, "Well, Kris, I read the Bible like I eat fish: I take the meat, and it serves me well, but I don't choke on the bone.


But she wasn't always a fan of the genre, which made her stand out in her small hometown.


"I was probably the freak in Broken Arrow, because I loved opera," Chenoweth told The Advocate. "My parents played all kinds of music. I was a huge Julie Andrews fan, and I loved all the cast albums. I also listened to Beethoven and Chopin."


In fact, Chenoweth wasn't even going to record a country album until songwriter Diane Warren told her she was.


"She heard me do a track of Carrie Underwood's for 'Glee' called "Last Name," and she said, 'You're a country artist.' I said, 'I do feel that, but I'm afraid I won't be accepted.' She said, 'This is part of who you are. Go for it.'


Warren, Chenoweth adds, is "the one who got me into the recording studio in Nashville. I said, 'I'll do two songs and we'll see how it goes.' And it just grew from there."


After she wraps promoting "Some Lessons Learned," Chenoweth will turn her focus to "GCB," which has already come under attack -- and it hasn't even aired yet.


The comedy-drama, based on the bestselling book about a divorcee (Leslie Bibb) who returns to Dallas with her kids, had to change its name twice already.


Originally titled, "Good Christian Bitches" (same as the book), it was then switched to "Good Christian Belles." But after some Christian groups felt it was demeaning, ABC is now just sticking with its acronym.