She even has her husband and daughter at this concert. . Id be a great Christian, if it wasnt for me, she said. They were a family of four, consisting of her husband and two children. Emmy-nominated comedienne Chonda . Theres nothing physically wrong. Having had a troubled childhood, Pierce used entertainment as a needed catharsis, reporting "I was hooked! When youre depressed, youre achy and you want to isolate. More, people who struggle with depression may experience significant loss of physical, social and role functioning comparable to or worse than that of other chronic medical issues. So that idea of unconditional love goes both ways., Pierce explained why this unconditional love for God may improve faith and well-being. The story of Kenny Chesney's New Wife. Not knowing how to dance, she had to memorize jokes from Grinders Switch, Tennessee and impersonate Cousin Minnie Pearl. On the other hand, her mother lives with her son Zachary and entirely focuses on other aspects of her life. As the RIAAs best-selling female comedian, her hilarious take on life is easily relatable as she publicly opens up to her listeners about times of darkness and depression in her own life, drawing humor and good from every situation. Chonda and David W. Pierce were high school sweethearts. I am crazy in love with God. I miss The Carol Burnett Show, and I'm hoping it becomes something like that. Michael Friedman, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist specializing in how social relationships influence mental and physical health. If there is a darkness, if there is a Devil, whats in his tool bag? I just sat on that garage floor.. But at a certain point, Pierce realized not only that her faith was not preventing depression, but also that her experience of depression was making her question her faith. She is 38 years old as of 2022 because she was born on February 13th, 1984. Who is Chera Kay's father? In the middle of all that, Chondas mother died. She performed many times at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. She cheered his occasional sobriety, stayed away when he started drinking again. People say, What if you die and find out there is no heaven?, And I go, Well, what did I lose? I had a painful childhood. Since she had a troubled childhood she needed the entertainment to study. On the one hand, Pierce, the Queen of Clean, makes a successful living from laughter. The interesting thing about the concept of the Devil Satan, or whatever that darkness is he is not so powerful that he can make you do anything, Pierce described. When I tried to go back to work, and I realized that there were concerts cancelled that they began to cancel because they heard that Chondas depressed, shes taking medicine, she just got out of the hospital, she recalled. Chera Kay Pierce is a celebrity kid. Its a spiral that just sucks you down a dark, dark tunnel.. David was a gorgeous young man who wrestled for the state championship and also played the guitar. { Maybe you dont even have to open the Bible. I was mad as fire at him. In addition to her 10 successful albums to date, she has also authored eight books, most recently Laughing In The Dark (Simon&Schuster/Howard), the inspiration for her upcoming film, and appears at venues big and small throughout the United States making audiences laugh with her ability to find the positivity in any situation. My husband is a brilliant man and wanted to read up on what do we have to do here? she explained. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Her father, David W. Pierce, worked as an English professor at Middle Tennessee State University. Unfortunately, she has kept everything about herself private. Write that down, she said. But I also have to trust that he knows best and if our goal is to make it to that utopia, to make it to heaven, then I have my most of my family there already. Pierce: I believe in the Bible and what it says. Pierce described how she experienced this interpersonal cycle. (function() { Piano Side," a collection drawing material from her childhood growing up as the daughter of a . And to tell you the truth, if you typed out a couple of these routines and you took a sharpie and darkened all the dirty words and content you're left with nothing. Chonda Pierce had no idea what was happening five years ago when her husband came home late slurring his words, stumbling, rambling on but making no sense. For co-hosting the massively popular talk show Aspiring Women On total Living Network she received five Daytime Emmy nominations. My job is good, she said. So now, Christian comedian Chonda Pierce talks about dating for the first time since the 70's and the valuable lessons she's learned! Pierce, 59, is a preacher's daughter whose strict upbringing strongly discouraged profanity. Maybe you just go, Well, Im a churchgoer. Entertaining. Hes having a stroke, she thought. Pierce chronicled her bouts with depression after losing her mother, dealing with her husband's alcoholism battle and death, an estranged daughter and the loss of her sisters as a child. The limited engagement documentary-style film was so well received that it was brought back for a very special encore performance and in total was viewed by nearly 100,000 people over the course of just two nights. David went to treatment at Cumberland Heights for 30 days in 2011, and Chonda sold their Murfreesboro home to free herself of painful memories and moved them both to a downtown Nashville condo. Where is Chera Kay Pierce now? However, she is a private person and has not shared much about her family life. Did You Know Anxiety Can Enhance Our Relationships? 425425 91 comments 1 share Share David struggled taking care of his divorced, alcoholic. I pulled at it, and under, it was full of cans and bottles, all empty. Our father was a pastor and was a very abusive man. People are often afraid of being judged or that information about their mental illness will somehow become public, and as a result, do not seek care. Chera was raised alongside her brother in Ashland City. She has also appeared on Entertainment Tonight, The View, Fox News Channel, Wanda Sykes, and her comedy is regularly featured on XM and Sirius satellite radio. She is the RIAA's most-granted female comic ever. And I think thats one of the things that deters our healing and also makes us isolate even more, she explained. Pierce described how the fear of stigma kept her from seeking help. Pierce is quick to point out that she encourages people to question their faith as she did including whether they are guilty of sin that may be contributing to depression. And if you cant find something spiritual heres the good news youre just depressed! Pierce explained. After the wedding, the couple had a daughter and a son, and their careers took off, Chonda as a comedian popular on the church circuit, joking about services and fellowship, David as an English professor at Middle Tennessee State University and other colleges. She has five gold-certified comedy albums and two platinum albums under her name. Chera Pierce Meredith is the first child of the queen of cleanliness, Chonda Pierce. Her daughter is Chera Kay Pierce, while her son is David Zachary. She is ranked amongst Pollstar.coms top-selling live performers and five of her DVDs have been certified Gold by the RIAA, signifying sales of more than 50,000 units, and three have been certified Platinum, signifying sales of more than 100,000 units. And she is happy and proud that she has emerged from depression with an even stronger sense of faith. I had lost both sisters by the time I was 18. So the darks job is to keep you from thinking that., And the dark will do anything to keep you in the dark., Pierce explained how this relates to depression. He and Chonda were friends at first, and over time their friendship turned into a full-fledged romance. The film topped charts and competed with some of the years biggest films. While growing up, she was looked at as a preacher's daughter, conversing with the hellfire preaching with wooden pews. She is a Christian comedian who came to be known as The Queen of Clean. And then your thinking is even more cloudy, Pierce said. It makes your faith look weak. I told her, Then take your glasses off and drive home!. However, her career breakthrough came in 2015, when she earned the role of Kandi. It is alleged that her bitterness toward her mother has to do with Chonda's extreme focus on her career at the expense of the family. Comedian Chonda Pierce has lived a life of paradox. Inspirational Country music Awards and Christian Music Hall of Fame Awards are among the stage shows she hosted. God has inspiration and divine healing and hes got creation all of these beautiful aspects that we know of God that are in his tool bag., Then you also have to believe that there is the opposite of that. And its wonderful when you figure out that concept, she explained. FOX411: What can people expect from your comedy series on the Dove Channel, "Chonda Pierce Presents: Stand-Up For Families" and your standup show? ", She was born, Chonda Ruth Courtney,[1] in Covington, Kentucky, on March 4,[2] 1960,[3] while she was raised in South Carolina, by her father who was a preacher and mother, Virginia Whalen. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. She has written many books, and she is a highly sought out Christian comedian. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); **Please note that due to scheduling and other constraints at this time we are accepting inquiries for private engagements only, and that will not be advertised**, (Reference list of headline performers previously presented). The action you just performed triggered the security solution. From the documentary, the losses Chonda had experienced in life made her struggle with depression. Eventually, the daughter got married, had her own children and cut off all contact with her parents. I was really surprised that the stigma was still there, that people still remain that uneducated about this situation., And then when this happened, I sadly realized, Oh, no, we havent come that far.. I can't say that there was a coherent point that I thought 'I need to tell this.' FOX411: How do you feel about the state of comedy today. David W. Pierce, Chonda's husband, initially met as a sophomore at Cheatham County High School in Ashland City, Tennessee. Your day is just flat.. Loving ourselves unconditionally, loving God unconditionally thats the beginning of learning to love others unconditionally. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. And her hopes were well-placed: Research suggests that spirituality predicts improved health and mood. Stop having the affairs. About 9 p.m., David, saying he had missed driving, went to pick up some food for their dog, Jack. Did I step out of line? Moreover, she has additionally wrote eight books, including 'Giggling In The Dark'. Chonda Pierce's family had three girls and one boy, and Chonda was the third born. And to realize that in this body, in this flesh, we have limitations, she said. For example, one study of 142 patients a week prior to heart surgery found that individuals with stronger religious beliefs had fewer subsequent complications and shorter hospital stays. Cheras mother was born Chonda Ruth Courtney on March 4, 1960, in Covington, Kentucky. Her daughter was given the names of her deceased sisters. By the time Cheralyn was diagnosed as terminal, their pastor father quit his pulpit and left his wife. The DVD and digital versions will debut on April 5, 2016 and will be available nationwide. Happy Birthday to my daughter. Further, depression can be a chronic condition, with depressed people at risk for relapse over their lives. So, for every concert where someone didnt want to have me there, every promoter that canceled out on me, there were an equal number of people who were ready to have this message out there, she said. Chonda felt like a complete idiot. callback: cb Your IP: People are hurting and they need that inspiration. And I know there was a time when I was thoroughly convinced that life needed to be over, she said. One of the greatest things that we did was that they would set up a puzzle on the table, and I would sit at the table with the puzzle with my kids, with my husband or just sit there. David W. Pierce is the co-author of two children's books with his wife, popular Christian comedienne Chonda Pierce, and a memoir, Salvage. Chonda, a beloved Christian comedian, always has shared intimate parts of her life with millions of fans at concerts and through recordings. Thats the beginning of the path of healing.. In his last conversation, David looked at his wife: I messed up, hun., He said, I love you and he said he was sorry. This docu-comedy follows Chonda on an emotional roller-coaster,. Frantic, she called an ambulance to their Murfreesboro home. Chonda Pierce is a contemporary gospel stand-up comedian, television presenter, author, and actress. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! She is also a member of several reputed organizations related to comedy. Documentary about the life of Christian comedian Chonda Pierce, the RIAA's number one selling female comedian of all time. . But now, Pierce has come to a new understanding about her depression, in which she has reconciled that she can be a deeply spiritual person and suffer from depression at the same time. At first, I thought there was something physically wrong with me. This vicious cycle can apply to a depressed persons social support as well. Market data provided by Factset. She is one . Chonda Pierce was born Chonda Courtney and was raised in South Carolina. David worked as an English professor at Middle Tennessee State University. Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? forms: { Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. But Chonda Pierce also belongs on that list. Chera Pierces mother hoped to be an actress one day, and she decided to major in art studies to achieve her dream. This can lead to a vicious cycle, where an individual becomes more and more immobilized, and then is even less likely to engage in otherwise enjoyable or healthy behavior thus worsening their mood. 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 (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}ISBN1-58229-641-3). If we really loved him unconditionally, we would believe that his ways are better than our ways. It is impossible to tell where she is now, considering that she cut off all her contact with her mother and family. We will always love you. Pierce: I think they're funny and clever and I love that. In addition to her comedic work, Pierce has used her success to help others, and in 2006 founded Branches Recovery Center, which offers counseling and treatment to those with depression, anxiety, addiction, regardless of their ability to pay.