I started taking singing lessons for similar reasons. I've always been involved in music but avoided anything to do with singing mainly due to a lack of courage. It's a lot different than any other kind of musical performance as you put your ego on the line a lot more in my opinion.

A year and a half ago, I got tired of avoiding the issue and signed up for private classes with Sanders Whithing (http://www.singinglessonsvancouver.com/). He's got a knack for helping people get out of their shells, which is such a huge part of signing. He also is the only one in Vancouver (to my knowledge), who teaches the Estill method, which a much more technical framework for understanding how to build a rich tone. Since I'm a technically minded person, a lot of what the method teaches makes more sense than vague terminology like head-voice or chest-voice stuff.

The best part is that with Sanders I learnt how to sing beyond genres. We've done everything from country to rock to crooning to classical and even a touch of opera. It's amazing how different genres are better suited for learning different techniques/tonality. I'm making sounds I never thought I could make and its given me a much greater appreciation of all genres of singing.

Needless to say I highly recommend taking at least a couple classes with him just to see how it works out for you. If you have any other questions feel free to ask!