The Comedian
THE COMEDIAN XOXO
Related: What The Tennessean says about Kelly Lang's alter-ego XOXO bringing laughter
to fellow breast cancer patients
With teased hair, too much makeup, a sharp tongue, and dripping in rhinestones, XOXO is the antithesis of the sophisticated and conservative Lang. Aided by her husband T.G. Sheppard, writing for the caricature of a wannabe country singer was a needed distraction. “She’s really embedded into me,” Lang said. “The more the makeup went on, the more I got into character. You have to bloom where you’re planted. Some days I had to force myself to laugh or force myself to come up with a comedy scene. T.G. would see that I was blue, and those days he’d say, ‘Let’s write a song for XO about it. What would XO say?’ It would immediately bring me back up again.”
It is believed by many that "laughter is the best medicine" and, the need for such is where the comedic side of Kelly Lang shines. More than a decade ago Lang was diagnosed with breast cancer and during this darkest and scariest time she created the alter ego XOXO to lighten her mood and make others laugh.
Enjoying a healthy life, Lang is determined to share her XOXO character with the public, convinced that her antics can bring joy to others in their time of need, just as she did for her. “The journey that I’ve been on is the only one I can talk about, and humor and music is the way I get through it,” Lang said. “If I can make a difference in someone’s life or take the fear away, that matters to me.”