Multiple Gold-selling comedienne Chonda Pierce, whose most recent tour was among the Top Five best attended Christian-market tours, teams this fall with Platinum-selling GRAMMY and Dove Award-winning Word recording artist Sandi Patty for the 30-plus city The Girls Are Back in Town tour. Chonda will be touring in support of her latest best-selling video, “Have I Got A Story For You,” while Sandi Patty continues to support her critically acclaimed CD Take Hold of Christ.
The two acclaimed performers launch the highly anticipated tour Sept. 19 in Asheville, NC, and traverse the nation into 13 states bringing their brand of comedy, music and friendship to audiences across the country. Before wrapping up in Wheeling, WV, Nov. 16, the duo’s entourage will hit such major markets as Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City and more.
“Chonda Pierce’s last two fall tours have been among the ten biggest selling tours in the Christian-market for each of those years [2001-2002], selling an average of over 2,200 tickets per night across 40-50 cities,” says Charles Dorris, Vice President, Head of Christian Music Department at William Morris Agency. “With Sandi Patty, who for years sold out 10,000 seat arenas, joining Chonda, we expect this to be one of the biggest tours of 2003.”
Bob Willey, Trinity Communications Group, Inc., adds, “Having promoted dates with Chonda Pierce for several years, what can I say… Chonda is a hoot! She has a way of moving the emotions. I have seen both laughter and tears on the faces of audiences from city to city. These two women [Pierce and Patty] who love Jesus passionately and have experienced His love first hand through the trials of life will be on stage, together, with laughter and tears. This will be unforgettable!”
“As a comedienne, I take what I do very seriously,” says Pierce. “So for me to jump on a bus with someone and travel across the country—sharing your life and sharing a stage—well, that’s a pretty big deal to me. When that someone is Sandi Patty—it’s obvious I’m her biggest fan! But, I’m also her friend. And when a couple of girlfriends get together to gab, the Lord only knows what will happen!”
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to tour with Chonda,” says Patty. “We will share a lot of laughs, but I look forward to many great times of ministry at these concerts.”
The Tour’s title, The Girls are Back in Town, comes from Chonda’s re-written version of The Boys are Back in Town, which turned into a music video starring herself and Patty.
“I re-wrote the old rock song: The Boys are Back in Town to be much more ‘correct!’” notes Pierce. “It fits me now: THE GIRLS ARE BACK IN TOWN! turned out to be a hilarious music video for two ‘old girls’ to shock the roller blades off our kids’ feet! My friend Sandi Patty and I transformed ourselves into two red hot punk rockers!”
With three Gold-selling videos and a regular schedule of 90-plus tour dates per year performing for packed audiences nationwide, Chonda Pierce has garnered numerous covers and features in such respected publications as Southern Living, Today’s Christian Woman, Dallas Morning News, etc. Pierce has also made special guest appearances on virtually every major Christian talk show including The 700 Club, Life Today and more. She has further received honors as the 2000 and 2001 Gospel Music Association’s Grady Nutt Humor Award recipient and has appeared more often than any other special guest for the nationally acclaimed conference, Women of Faith.
Honored with 39 Dove Awards, five Grammy Awards, three Platinum and five Gold recordings, Patty is the most-awarded female vocalist in contemporary Christian music history. She has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “Entertainment Tonight,” “A Capitol Fourth with the National Symphony,” and ABC’s 2002 “In Search For America: A July 4th Musical Celebration,” among other programs. In addition, Patty has been a familiar voice in such settings as three United States Presidential Inaugural Gala events, the rededication of the Statue of Liberty and Billy Graham Crusades in the United States and Argentina.
Further information on Chonda Pierce and Sandi Patty, including The Girls Are Back in Town tour dates, can be found on their respective websites: www.chonda.org and www.sandipatty.com.
