Richey entered music in the 1990s, and secured her first recording contract with Mercury Nashville at the age of 37.

Her songs have been recorded by Trisha Yearwood ("Believe Me Baby (I Lied)"), Radney Foster ("Nobody Wins"), and Brooks & Dunn ("Every River").

Produced by Hugh Padgham (XTC), the album also features guitarist Dominic Miller (Sting).

[10] Released in 2013, Thorn in My Heart was again produced by Neilson Hubbard and features guest vocals from Trisha Yearwood.

[11] A limited edition version of the album was released in 2014 as Thorn in My Heart: The Work Tapes with only Richey on guitar and vocals.