CHESNEY CLAIRE
SINGER, SONGWRITER, AND VOTING MEMBER OF THE RECORDING ACADEMY
Chesney Claire was born in July of 2001. When she was just nine years old, she started taking vocal lessons from Tony Orlando's band as well as Chubby Checker and his backup singers.
Shortly after graduating from high school, she decided to move to Las Vegas to further her career in music. It was in Las Vegas that she found her niche and began performing at venues and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
Chesney has performed at world famous West Coast venues including Whisky a GOGO, The Rainbow Room, Johnny Depp's - The Viper Room, and many others.
After spending over six years on the West Coast, Chesney moved to NW Arkansas where she currently resides.
Chesney is a Voting Member of the Recording Academy and has released over thirty songs through her own record label, Red Twenty Five Music Group.
If You Decorate, He Will Come
CHESNEY CLAIRE
My 23-year-old brother passed away in 2016 from an accidental overdose. He was in the US Army and was self-medicating. His passing was the worst thing that I had ever been through. I was young, impressionable, and he was my best friend.
I watched my mom suffer because of the loss of her son, but in between, somehow, she would always manage to have a few good days. She religiously made time to pray daily and told me that she often talked to him in heaven. Through this experience, I could see how unafraid and in fact eager she was to be with my brother but said that I was her reason to keep living.
She gave to me unselfishly. She gave to me generously. She gave to me freely. She gave to me when she had nothing left to give. Many times, I saw God in her.
Sadly, two years later, my grandfather passed away. He had often told me how much he loved my brother and me. It was my belief that now the two of them were in heaven together.
Just two weeks after my grandfather died, my grandmother was so sad because it was going to be her first Christmas without him in over fifty years. She was grieving and often expressed how she felt the weight of this world was on her shoulders without him.
She had told me that she was not planning to decorate for Christmas, but later changed her mind after watching a TV program that urged her to. The program’s message was that “if you decorate, God will come.”
My grandmother needed God’s presence desperately and was looking for something to do during the holidays to occupy her mind. My aunt convinced her to go on a Christmas skiing trip with her family in Angel Fire, New Mexico.
Within twenty-four hours after they left, my aunt called us. She said that my grandmother was sitting on the end of her bed and suddenly died, but paramedics were able to bring her back to life. She was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque. I called her and she was able to utter a few words. With family by her side, I asked her if she saw anyone in heaven. With tears in her eyes, she told me that she saw my brother and God. Within minutes of talking to her, she took her final breath.
When we arrived back at her home, we opened the door to find that her entire home was decorated with lights, strung popcorn, and garland. Her Christmas tree, adorned with more sparkling lights than I have ever seen, was slowly turning.
Stunned, standing there motionless in her silent home, I called out, “Grandma, are you here?” And immediately, her Christmas tree stopped turning, and all the lights went out.
She told me that she was ready. It was clear that God had come to get her.
In that quiet, dark room, I knew she was finally home.