Jonathan Pierce Hildreth, known professionally as Jonathan Pierce (November 15, 1967 – May 9, 2020), was an American
CCM,
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
singer from
Odessa, Texas
Odessa () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, Ector County with portions extending into Midland County, Texas, Midland County.
Odessa's population was 114,428 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...
and an interior designer in
Nashville
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. Pierce used his first and middle name while omitting his last name for career purposes.
Career
Music
Pierce began singing in church at age seven and took voice lessons from age nine. Following his graduation from high school, he relocated to
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, where he sang with the Christ Church Choir.
Naomi Judd introduced him with
The Imperials
The Imperials is an American contemporary Christian music group that has been active for over 60 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There ...
, who offered him a spot. He was with them for three years (1990–93), until he was offered a position with the
Gaither Vocal Band. He remained with them for three years (1994–97).
Pierce released several albums on
Curb Records. In 1999, he was nominated for five
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association (GMA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of gospel music. As of 2011, there are about 4,000 members worldwide. The GMA's membership c ...
's
Dove Awards for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year for "I Believe In Christ", Inspirational Song of the Year for "Farther Than Your Grace Can Reach", and Male Vocalist of the Year. His 2000 release, ''Sanctuary'', hit No. 35 on the
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
Top Contemporary Christian Albums chart.
Pierce appeared in the part of Joseph in the Nashville revival of ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice ...
'' in December 1999.
Interior design
Pierce left music to pursue a career as an interior designer in which he became the lead designer for
CMT's ''Ultimate Country Home'' series in 2003. Pierce was the proprietor of Pierce and Company in Nashville. He subsequently appeared on the
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
reality show ''
LeAnn &
Eddie'' in 2014.
Personal life
Pierce married his wife Denise in 1994 and they divorced in 2007. His ex-wife is an acclaimed author who explains that their marriage was tumultuous, yet refuses to be public about the cause of the divorce. She outlined the marriage struggles in her book, ''"Flying Solo."''
Death
Pierce died on May 9, 2020, while recovering from
heart surgery. He was 52 years old.
Discography
With the Imperials
*''
Big God'' (1991)
*''
Stir It Up'' (1992)
With the Gaither Vocal Band
*''Testify'' (1994)
*''Southern Classics: Volume II'' (1995)
*''Back Home in Indiana''
ive(1997)
*''Lovin' God & Lovin' Each Other'' (1997)
Solo
*''One Love'' (1995)
*''Mission'' (1998)
*''Sanctuary'' (2000)
*''For You'' (2003)
Appearances on other albums
*''Christmas Is Coming Home'' B.J. Thomas (1997)
*''Moments'' Vestal Goodman (1997)
Gaither Homecoming video solo performances
*''Sing Your Blues Away''; "Because He Lives" (1996)
*''Homecoming Texas Style''; "O What A Savior", "I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy" (1996)
*''Joy To The World''; "New Star Shining" (1996)
*''Back Home In Indiana''; "I Believe In A Hill Called Mount Calvary" (1997)
References
External links
Pierce and Company website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Jonathan
1970 births
American performers of Christian music
Living people
Singers from Texas
21st-century American singers
21st-century American male singers