Carly Pearce is thankful for her friendship with fellow singer Kelsea Ballerini.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Pearce detailed how the two met before breaking into the country music industry, close to “six or seven years ago, in kind of an artist therapy group.” Pearce is happy they were able to maintain their friendship even after Ballerini found success, saying “she was really good to me when she kind of got a jump-start in her career” before Pearce did.
“We’ve just seen a lot of different phases of each other’s lives and stayed close, and I think that it’s been fun just to kind of walk alongside her as we both are two of the females in this crazy business,” Pearce said.
“We’ve been through a lot separately but been there for each other and continue to just kind of live a lot of same life experiences, good or bad,” added Pearce, who filed for divorce from Michael Ray in 2020. Ballerini and husband Morgan Evans split earlier this year after five years of marriage.
Carly Pearce, left, said it’s been fun to grow in the business alongside friend Kelsea Ballerini.
(Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
The “Dear Mrs. Loretta” singer also got candid about the time she and Ballerini went out and sang karaoke after Pearce sold out two nights at the Ryman Auditorium, joking, “No one would ever believe that we are singers at this level because it was horrendous.”
Looking ahead, Pearce is excited to host the “CMA Country Christmas” for the second year in a row.
“I think what’s really special about this year is I feel like the CMA, they really made sure to tailor make this show a little bit, to tell my personal story of getting to know me a little bit better and my Christmas traditions and why these songs are important to me and all different things and just what I did as a kid around the holidays,” Pearce said. “I think if maybe country music fans, or people tuning into the special, if they are not as familiar with me as a person, maybe past my music, they’re going to get to hear a little bit more about me as Carly.”
Other performers at the show this year include Maren Morris, Dan + Shay, Old Dominion and Scotty McCreery. The “CMA Country Christmas” promises to be a great way to ring in the holiday season with a night full of special performances of all the classics.
Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce performed their song, “You’re Drunk, Go Home,” at the 56th Annual CMA Awards.
(Terry Wyatt/WireImage)
Aside from hosting this year’s “CMA Country Christmas,” Pearce took over the CMA Awards stage last month, performing her hit song “Dear Mrs. Loretta” as well as “You’re Drunk, Go Home” with Kelly Clarkson and Ballerini. Pearce also recently performed on the semifinals of “The Voice.”
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“This is my second time to get to perform on ‘The Voice,’ and it’s one of my favorite TV shows to be a part of, just because they care so much about the artists that come in,” she said, adding it’s a “fun night.”
Coming up as a woman in country music, Pearce had a lot of women to look up to who paved the way for her.
“I think it’s vocalist Lee Ann Womack, Patty Loveless, Alison Krauss,” Pearce said. “I think, as businesswomen, Reba McEntire and Dolly [Parton] and Trisha Yearwood, just the way that they kind of built brands outside of just music but still remain true to themselves, and still that down-home part of what I feel like country music is really known for.”
Carly Pearce named Reba McEntire, left, as one of her inspirations in country music.
(Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Big Machine Label Group)
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The 13th Annual CMA Country Christmas premieres Thursday, Dec. 8, on ABC.