A few facts you probably know about Carly Pearce: She left her Kentucky home and dropped out of high school at 16, took a job at Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood, moved to Nashville, got a record deal, and lost it, worked odd jobs to pay rent, became a back-up singer, and then ultimately made her breakthrough after writing a song about a guy who broke her heart.
Now, she’s a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry and Kentucky Music Hall of Fame member with multiple multi-platinum certified albums.
Here are some more fierce facts about her, ones you probably haven’t read about yet, to help you get to know her a bit better.
1. Pearce is her grandparents’ last name.
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Carly Pearce was actually born Carly Cristyne Slusser in the small town of Taylor Mill, Kentucky, to parents Todd and Jackie (née Pearce) Slusser. For her stage name, she decided to use her mother’s surname.
According to the singer, “I keep them alive in my logo. Pearce is not my legal name but I took it because of my grandparents. And their lifelong dream was to see me do this for a living and also the Opry.” Growing up, her grandparents regularly played country music and from there, she developed her love for the genre. When she was finally inducted into the Opry, she made sure to give them a shoutout to honor them. “My Mamaw and Papaw Pearce, I always told them that if I ever made it here, they would be front row. I know that this was as much my dream as it was theirs.”
2. She cleaned Airbnbs.
When she moved to Nashville, she had only a dream and a high school diploma she received in the mail because she was homeschooled. To make ends meet, including buying food for her cat, she worked odd jobs like cleaning Airbnbs. And the things that she had seen definitely scarred her. She said, “And I am just telling you, people are nasty.”
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That job also impacted her life. “It forever changed my thought on how I leave a hotel room, or how I leave an AIRBNB, or how I leave a fitting room because somebody has to clean that up.”
3. She was told that her breakthrough hit wasn’t special.
In an interview, Pearce shared that two weeks prior to releasing “Every Little Thing,” she met with record labels and management companies. And everyone told her that her song wasn’t special and that it wouldn’t break through. But it did. It became a big hit on satellite radio, led her to sign a deal with Big Machine Records, and became one of Carly Pearce’s best songs.
4. Her mom gifted her a Barbie replica of her look when she made her Opry debut.
Getting inducted into the Opry was a big deal for any country musician, and Pearce’s mom made sure she had a memorable physical memory of it. So, she gifted her a Barbie replica of her two looks that day — a lovely white lace dress with pink ruffles and her performance ensemble, which was a black cocktail dress, cowboy boots, and a guitar. And, of course, she didn’t forget the iconic Opry mic.
5. Pearce’s pets were named after some of country’s greats.
She has Johnny Cash, who is technically her parents’ dog. In 2020, she got herself a Shih Tzu following her divorce from Michael Ray, whom she named June, aka June Jolene Pearce. She had also considered calling her Dolly. Two years later, she rescued a pup, a Chocolate Lab her parents found and who also looked a lot like her childhood dog Ginger. She named her Retta Lynn after fellow Kentucky crooner Loretta Lynn. And she also has a cat named Emmylou Harris!
We hope you’ve learned a few more things about Carly Pearce from these five fierce facts.
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