Chonda Pierce

Chonda Pierce
Birth name	Chonda Ruth Courtney
Born	March 4, 1960 Covington, Kentucky, U.S.
Genres	Contemporary Christian
Occupation(s)	Singer, comedian
Instruments	Piano
Years active	present
Website	chonda.org

Chonda Courtney Pierce (born March 4, 1960) is an Emmy®-nominated and best-selling clean comedian often billed as “The Queen of Clean.” She is the RIAA’s most-awarded female comic in history. Billboard magazine dubbed her “the country comic,” as she’s been making audiences laugh for decades simply by sharing stories about her southern upbringing.

A stand-up comedian, television host, author and now actress, Chonda has channeled her often challenging life experiences into positivity. In addition to 10 successful albums to date, she has also authored eight books, including Laughing In The Dark (Howard Books), the inspiration for her first full-length documentary of the same name that premiered in 2015, chronicling the loss of her mother, the estrangement of her daughter, the tragic death of her husband and her struggle with clinical depression.

Chonda has received five Daytime Emmy® nominations for her work co-hosting the talk show “Aspiring Women” on the Total Living Network and her first television special, “This Ain’t Prettyville!” on CMT (Country Music Television). She is ranked amongst Pollstar.com’s top-selling live performers, and five of her DVDs have been certified Gold by the RIAA. Three of her DVDs have been certified Platinum.^[1]

Early life

Chonda Courtney Piece was born March 4, 1960, in Covington, Kentucky. Chonda’s mother decided to go sledding at nine month’s pregnant. She suited up with trash bags and duct tape to keep her clothes dry, and when she went into labor, it took her so long to get undressed, Chonda ended up being born in the back of a cab on the way to the hospital—her birth foreshadowing her future career in comedy.

Chonda was the third of four siblings—one boy and three girls—and she provided the comic relief in the family. As a child, she claims she was bright-eyed and energetic, always enthusiastic when she woke up in the mornings. “I was born with this immeasurable amount of enthusiasm and optimism,” she says. “I don’t know where I got that except from my mother. My mother was always making lemonade out of lemons.”

Her dad was a pastor, so her family moved every few years. However, she spent the majority of her formative years growing up in South Carolina. In fact, she lived in Myrtle Beach for a big chunk of her childhood. When she was 15, her family moved to Ashland City, Tenn., right outside of Nashville. The hills of Tennessee proved quite a culture shock for Chonda’s beach-loving heart. Looking back on that pivotal time, she says, “I began to collect the characters of my life that would later become a career.”

While she never initially set out to become a comedian, she did find herself drawn to the stage. She played the lead role in her high school’s production of Oklahoma. “When all the other girls were auditioning for whatever role was the leading lady, I would always audition for whatever role was the funniest,” she says, adding that when she got the lead, “It may have been the only time that Laurey in Oklahoma was a funny character, because I would try to make every other line funny.”

Tragedy struck her family at an early age. As a teenager, Chonda lost both of her sisters. When Chonda was 16, her oldest sister, Charlotta Kay, was killed in a car accident when she was just 20. Then, two years later, her younger sister, Cheralyn Ann, was diagnosed with Leukemia and died 21 days after the diagnosis at 15 years old.

Her father left when she was 17, and with her dad in vocational ministry, a very public, embarrassing divorce followed. The bright spot during this difficult time was her best friend, David Pierce—her high school sweetheart whom she later married.

Despite her family’s stringent religious beliefs, Chonda was a joyful teenager with a tight circle of friends. In fact, she made friends during her high school years in Ashland City that still remain some of her closest girlfriends to this day. “I think that was a sweet gift from God,” she reflects. “Knowing the tragedies that I was going to go through, I think He gave me that one. He gave me great friends that sustained me through a lot of stuff.”

By the time Chonda was 21, she and her mother were broke and sharing a one-bedroom apartment.

Religious Views

Chonda grew up in a strict, religious home. Her father was a pastor associated with the Holiness movement, where the theology revolved around long skirts, no make-up and especially no music and dancing. Chonda remembers even hiding a radio beneath her bed. In addition, being a preacher’s kid came with its own set of expectations, especially since Chonda’s dad pastored a small church. She protested a lot of the limitations her religion placed on her. Early on, she learned if she could make her mother laugh about the ways in which she skirted the rules, she would get into a lot less trouble.

As a conservative Christian, today, faith remains an important part of Chonda’s life. Humor has become a ministry. She shares her personal journey of faith in her many DVDs, CDs and books.

Education and College

Chonda began her college career at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville before transferring to Austin Peay State University. She was a theater arts major with dreams of becoming an actress. She also loved to sing.

Opryland Theme Park

When Chonda was a senior in college, she auditioned for a job at Opryland U.S.A., but the first year she didn’t make the final cut. The decision-makers said she was too thin and didn’t have the required dance skills. After she graduated from college, she auditioned a second time. This time, she was cast in one of the theme park’s stage shows called “Country Music U.S.A.,” a variety show that impersonated numerous iconic country music stars, most of whom Chonda had never heard of. In order to save her from the big dance number, Joe Jerles gave her the part of Minnie Pearl.

Not having much context for Minnie Pearl at the time, Chonda watched her perform at the Grand Ole Opry and diligently studied her performances on “Hee Haw.” She quickly fell in love with making people laugh and ended up imitating Minnie Pearl for six years. Humor became a cathartic remedy for her hard childhood. She worked six days a week, five times a day to make people laugh. “I was fascinated by the art of storytelling. Miss. Minnie was a storyteller,” she says. “It truly became a medicine for me.”

Chonda married her high school sweetheart, David Pierce, May 14, 1983. They had been best friends since they were 17.^[2] David, born and raised in Ashland City, knew Chonda’s sisters before they passed away. While Chonda was working at Opryland, she had her first child. Her daughter was born on February 13, 1984. They named her Chera Kay after Chonda’s late sisters. David would bring Chera up to watch Chonda perform at Opryland during the summers. In the wintertime, she often served as a substitute teacher or a desk clerk to pay the bills. Then, when the weather would get warm again, she’d don her hat and head back to Opryland.

Even after she left her job at the theme park, “Miss. Minnie” would personally call Chonda to pinch hit for her at events she wasn’t able to attend.

Chonda’s son, Zachary, was born September 6, 1989. After David’s death, Zach moved in with Chonda. Today, they’re rebuilding a life together in her beloved Ashland City.

Early Influences

Sarah Cannon (aka Minnie Pearl) was obviously one of Chonda’s earliest influences. She taught her how to find the humor in everyday life and how to tell stories in a way that resonated with other people. Mark Lowry also influenced her early on in her career, as well. However, Chonda says she never studies the work of other standup comedians, choosing instead to forge her own unique path, unfazed by what her colleagues—both Christian and secular—are doing.

During her time working as a Minnie Pearl impersonator, she started to realize her natural penchant for comedy. At the same time, she also began to embrace the faith of her childhood, and gradually, comedy turned into more than a job. It became a calling. “I felt God had found me a job where I could make people laugh at a time when I didn’t think life was very funny,” Chonda shares. “And that was incredible—how He really is involved in the little details of our life if we’re looking for Him.”

Standup career

Chonda began integrating stories of her childhood—growing up in church and being a preacher’s kid—into her routines. Her southern charm and charismatic storytelling connected with audiences. When she filmed one of her early standup routines, titled “Second Row, Piano Side,” the tape fell into the hands of Bill Gaither. Gaither, well-known in Southern Gospel circles, invited Chonda to perform on one of his legendary Homecoming DVDs, giving her a wide amount of exposure. From there Chonda started getting requests to perform at churches nationwide. It was through the Gaither circuit that Chonda met Christian singer, songwriter and comedian Mark Lowry, with whom she developed a fast and lasting friendship.

As her standup grew and evolved, the topics she was speaking on gradually turned toward women. In 2001, Chonda began touring with the popular Women of Faith conferences, which became a natural fit for her humor. Suddenly, Chonda was sharing her stories in front of 10,000-15,000 women every weekend. She toured with Women of Faith on and off for the next decade.

In the midst of working with Women of Faith, Chonda also started to release DVDs with stand-alone messages—each one reflecting a lesson she was learning at that time in her personal journey. Her DVDs have become the cornerstone of her comedy career. In fact, she currently holds the record for the most Gold and Platinum DVD certifications of any other female comic in history. The success of her DVDs propelled the popularity of her live events, keeping her schedule full.

“The comedy was nothing but a vehicle,” Chonda says. “That wasn’t the point of the night. And it’s never been; it’s never been the point of my career.”

Biographical Documentary - Laughing In The Dark^[3]

In an effort to introduce Chonda to a broader audience, Chonda and her team decided to begin filming behind-the-scenes footage of her career, giving fans a glimpse into her personal life. Rick Altizer—who was working for Chonda in marketing at the time—helmed the documentary project. He was a first-time filmmaker.

Once the camera started rolling, tragedy struck once again. Chonda’s beloved mother passed away. Then, her adult daughter, Chera, and her husband estranged themselves from the family.

Chonda’s husband, David Pierce, was a respected author and teacher. He taught at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) as the couple raised their kids in Murfreesboro, Tenn. In their last few years together, David struggled with an addiction to alcohol, and his health eventually spiraled out of control, leading to a massive stroke.^[4] He passed away in July 2014, leaving Chonda a widow. Meanwhile, Rick had been able to organically capture these raw moments of real life on tape as they unfolded.

The result was a full-length documentary, Laughing In The Dark, which released to 500 select theaters nationwide for a one-night only event on October 27, 2015, via Fathom Events. Despite its limited release, fans showed up in droves, selling out theaters in multiple cities. In fact, the night it premiered, Laughing In The Dark became the fifth largest box office hit in the country. Due to its popularity, it returned to nearly 800 theaters for an additional one-night encore showing. Over the course of just two nights, the documentary was viewed by nearly 100,000 people.

“What we wound up with in the editing room was an amazing story of just hanging on to your faith and then, all the while, having to go make people laugh,” Chonda says of the documentary.

The film also tackled Chonda’s bout with clinical depression. Through it all, her faith prevailed, and the documentary seemingly recorded this in real time. “I’ve had some good knock-down, drag-outs with God,” she reveals. “I have really railed and been mad and hurt and frustrated and angry and all these things; and yet, could not help but still love Him and still want to honor Him with my life.”

Laughing In The Dark was released on DVD April 5, 2016. A Bible study on the book of Job was also released in conjunction with the DVD project.

Depression

In 2007, Chonda authored a book called Laughing In The Dark: A Comedian’s Journey Through Depression^[5] (Howard Books) that chronicles her battle with depression, at a time when few people were openly talking about the subject in the Christian world.

Diagnosed as clinically depressed, Chonda was forced to cancel an entire tour. Once she felt like performing again, it took a long time to regain the trust of promoters. Depression continues to be something Chonda deals with, especially following the death of her husband. However, she knows how to better cope with it and can now recognize the signs and seek help at an earlier stage in the process.

“I had some life skills in place, so that when this tragedy [of my husband’s death] hit, they sustained me,” she says. “Had I not gone through the deep, dark depression when everything was right—my husband was well; my kids were teenagers—if I had not done that, it would not have prepared me for what I had down the road.”

Charitable Work

Chonda supports a wide variety of charitable organizations. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for World Vision, Compassion International, Food for the Hungry and Feed the Children. “Child sponsorship is so great,” she says. “The idea is so smart because people need a personal connection… I love how it works. It enables us to do what we’re supposed to do as Christians.”

In addition, Chonda is also the co-founder of Branches Recovery Center alongside her brother, Dr. Mike Courtney, her only other living relative. Branches is a faith-based counseling center, headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tenn., that offers healing and hope for those struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction and shame regardless of their ability to pay. A well-trained staff of psychologists, counselors and physician’s assistants operate five different locations across the country.

Discography

Chonda Pierce: Having a Girls’ Nite Out! (1998)

Chonda Pierce: Live! From the Second Row, Piano Side (1998)

Chonda Pierce...on Her Soapbox (1999)

Chonda Pierce: Be Afraid… Be Very Afraid (2002)

Chonda Pierce: Four-Eyed Blonde (2004)

Chonda Pierce "Best Bits" (2006)

Chonda Pierce: Stayin’ Alive… Laughing! (2007)

Chonda Pierce: This Ain’t Prettyville (2009)

Chonda Pierce: Did I Say that Out Loud? (2010)

Chonda Pierce: I’m Kind of a Big Deal (2011)

Chonda Pierce: Girl Talk (2013)

Chonda Pierce: Laughing in the Dark (2015)

Chonda Pierce: Stand Up for Families (2016)

Books

Second Row, Piano Side (1996)

It’s Always Darkest Before the Fun Comes Up (1998)

Chonda Pierce on Her Soapbox (1999)

I Can See Myself In His Eyeballs (2001)

Roadkill on the Highway to Heaven (2006)

Laughing in the Dark (2015)

Laughing in the Dark: A Bible Study On the Book of Job (2016)

Children’s Books

Tales from the Ark - with David Pierce (2001)

The Three Little Pigs (2002)

Twinkle (2002)

Tales From the Ark (2002)

Twinkle - with David Pierce (2002)

Tales from the Manger - with David Pierce (2004)

Comedy CD's

Two Sides To Every Story (2009)

Listen and Laugh (2011)

Music Albums

Yes...& Amen (1999)

Performance Audio

Closer To You (1993)

Follow Me (1995)

Enjoying the Journey (1996)

Movie Roles

Ms. Chang in A Valentine’s Date (2011)

Chloe Cloverland in The Dog Who Saved Halloween (2011)

Noel in 12 Wishes of Christmas (2011)

Gretchen in Christmas Land (2015)

Margaret (voice) in Come to the Garden (2016)

Notable TV Appearances

“Life Today with James Robison” (2009)

“The Wanda Sykes Show” (2010)

“The View” (2010)

“How the States Got Their Shapes” (2012)

“Huckabee” (2013)

“Entertainment Tonight” (2015)

Awards

Winner of Gospel Music Association's Grady Nutt Humor Award (2000 and 2001)

External links

• Chonda Pierce Official Website

References

1. "Chonda Pierce Official Website".
2. "The Tennessean".
3. "Laughing In The Dark".
4. "The Tennessean".
5. Pierce, Chonda (2007). Laughing In The Dark. Howard Books.