Karen Staley (born in Weirton, West Virginia) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Staley was raised in Georgetown, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and was inspired to write songs after reading through the hymnals at her local church. She continued to do so while at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she joined the women's fraternity Alpha Gamma Delta. She took a job at a children's home, before moving to Los Angeles, California to sign with a contemporary Christian music label which went out of business before she could release anything.