Karey Lee Woolsey (born July 12, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, who built a successful music career touring Florida and the East Coast with his band 3 Days Apart before he became involved in an organization bringing marijuana into the state. Woolsey was convicted in 2008 of attempting to distribute more than 7,000 pounds of marijuana and is serving a 13-year sentence at the
Federal Correctional Institution, Yazoo City Low (Miss.)
While incarcerated in July 2013, Woolsey released an album that hit fourth on ''Billboards Heatseekers South Atlantic chart.
Early life
Woolsey was born in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, and moved to the
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, area at an early age. His family later moved to
Cape Coral, Florida
Cape Coral is a city located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a planned community, the city's population has grown to 194,016 as of the 2020 Census, a rise of 26% from the 2010 Census ...
, where they still reside.
Woolsey began writing songs at age 13, placing his first in rotation at a local radio station. He began to win talent competitions by performing his original compositions. While attending Cape Coral High School, he formed his own band, 3 Days Apart, playing guitar and singing his original songs in clubs around Fort Myers and, later, throughout the state and up the coast. Woolsey opened up for bands such as
Sister Hazel,
3 Doors Down,
Creed
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
,
Jars of Clay, and
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk.
Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
.
Criminal activity
In 2002, after a performance in a local club, Woolsey was approached by several men flashing money around. After striking up a conversation, he learned that the men were involved in the marijuana trade. Lured by the promise of easy money, Woolsey became involved with the men; meanwhile, his music career suffered as his focus shifted toward drugs. Soon, however, one of the members of the group was arrested. When pressed by federal authorities, the man named Woolsey as a co-conspirator, and due to his lack of cooperation he was charged in 2007 with conspiracy to distribute 7,000 lbs of marijuana.
While awaiting sentencing, Woolsey recorded "Freedom," an album of original songs. It was released independently and became available on iTunes and streaming music services. After recording "Freedom," Woolsey was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, reporting to serve his sentence in 2008. He's projected to be released in 2017. In April 2014, Woolsey asked President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
for a commutation of his remaining sentence. He is still waiting to hear whether it has been approved or denied.
Post-incarceration
Woolsey has spent his time in prison writing and performing new songs. After his release, he plans to continue his music career.
Billboard charts
In July 2013, Karey Lee hit the ''Billboard'' Heatseeker South Atlantic chart at number four with the release of his album ''A Million Miles Away''. The album is selling on iTunes, cdbaby.com and Amazon.com, where it ranked third in Adult Alternative sales the week it was released.
Discography
2014
''Reach for the Stars'' (single)
2013
Album: ''A Million Miles Away''
"These Walls Around Me"
"Big Mouth Bitch"
"Fall In You"
"Get Up And Drive"
"309"
"God"
"Only In My Dreams"
"I Am"
"Chains"
"Evils Creepin"
"Sweet Talkin Lover"
"Busted"
"Freedom"
2007
Album: ''Freedom''
"Fall in You"
"Anyway"
"Get Up and Drive"
"Lost 'Boring Stories'"
"Only in My Dreams"
"Big Mouth Bitch"
"Chains"
"God"
"The Man for You"
"I Am"
"Might Die"
"Sweet Talkin Lover"
"Walk the Wire"
"What About Me?"
"Feel"
"Freedom"
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woolsey, Karey Lee
1976 births
Living people
American people convicted of drug offenses
American male singer-songwriters
21st-century American singer-songwriters