Chonda Pierce
Encyclopedia
Chonda Pierce is a Christian comedienne often billed as "The Queen of Clean." Maiden name "Courtney".
Pierce got her start in comedy during a six-year stint at a theme park in Nashville, Tennessee
called Opryland USA
. A Theater Arts major from Austin Peay State University
, Pierce went to the park to pay her college bill. Not knowing how to dance, she had to memorize jokes from Grinders Switch, Tennessee and impersonate Cousin Minnie Pearl
. Having had a troubled childhood, entertainment was the catharsis
Pierce needed, reporting "I was hooked! I loved the sound of an audience laughing. It was just the medicine I needed."
Pierce has gone on to appear numerous times on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee
, write eight books, and become a highly sought after Christian
comedienne, having five gold-certified comedy albums and two platinum albums to her name. Pierce has an ongoing concert calendar and her comedy segments also frequently appear on XM Radio's Laugh USA
and Sirius Satellite Radio
's Blue Collar Comedy 103.
Pierce is a member of the Christian Comedy Association, but outside the comedy, she is a spokesperson for World Vision
and works with various other Christian leaders and organizations.
She has appeared in several of the Gaither Homecoming recordings and she wrote about her struggle with depression in "Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey Through Depression" ISBN 1582296413
Pierce was named Comedian of the Year two years in a row by the Christian Music Hall of Fame's Visionary Awards while hosting the 2009 awards show.
Pierce got her start in comedy during a six-year stint at a theme park in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
called Opryland USA
Opryland USA
Opryland USA was an amusement park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally from 1972 until 1997...
. A Theater Arts major from Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University is a four-year public university located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools .-History:...
, Pierce went to the park to pay her college bill. Not knowing how to dance, she had to memorize jokes from Grinders Switch, Tennessee and impersonate Cousin Minnie Pearl
Minnie Pearl
Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon , known professionally as Minnie Pearl, was an American country comedienne who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and on the television show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1991.-Early life:Sarah Colley was born in Centerville, in Hickman County, Tennessee,...
. Having had a troubled childhood, entertainment was the catharsis
Catharsis
Catharsis or katharsis is a Greek word meaning "cleansing" or "purging". It is derived from the verb καθαίρειν, kathairein, "to purify, purge," and it is related to the adjective καθαρός, katharos, "pure or clean."-Dramatic uses:...
Pierce needed, reporting "I was hooked! I loved the sound of an audience laughing. It was just the medicine I needed."
Pierce has gone on to appear numerous times on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, write eight books, and become a highly sought after Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
comedienne, having five gold-certified comedy albums and two platinum albums to her name. Pierce has an ongoing concert calendar and her comedy segments also frequently appear on XM Radio's Laugh USA
Laugh USA
Laugh USA is a Sirius XM Radio channel featuring family comedy. The channel's slogan is "Classic Comedy and Good Clean Fun." The comedy aired sometimes contains mild profanities and slightly risqué material, and is only very rarely considered offensive...
and Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
's Blue Collar Comedy 103.
Pierce is a member of the Christian Comedy Association, but outside the comedy, she is a spokesperson for World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
and works with various other Christian leaders and organizations.
She has appeared in several of the Gaither Homecoming recordings and she wrote about her struggle with depression in "Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey Through Depression" ISBN 1582296413
Pierce was named Comedian of the Year two years in a row by the Christian Music Hall of Fame's Visionary Awards while hosting the 2009 awards show.