Carly Pearce Credits Kelsea Ballerini With Career Milestone

Carly Pearce is giving big props to one of her good friends, and reigning stars in country music: Kelsea Ballerini. After headlining Charleston, S.C. radio station's recent Party in the Park show, the "Hide the Wine" singer shared on social media that the night might never have happened, without Ballerini's love and support.

"Three years ago, Kelsea Ballerini let me open some shows for her & go to a radio visit with her to see how a radio show worked," Pearce writes on Instagram. "I had no record deal, no single on the radio-- just a girl driving her band through the night in a 15 passenger van with a friend who believed in my music and was willing to help me as HER star was rising.

"I remember watching Kelsea thinking 'I hope I get there one day,'" adds Pearce. "Tonight, I headlined that same radio station's final 'Party in the Park' show. ❤️ This is a night I will hold so dear to my heart."

Pearce and Ballerini initially met in a support group for female artists and musicians, when Ballerini reached out to Pearce at one of the lowest points of her career.

"We were all going around introducing ourselves and in those moments as a female, you kinda wanna, especially as a female artist, you kinda wanna puff your chest out and say something good about yourself so you feel confident in that moment," Pearce recalls (quote via Sounds Like Nashville). "[Ballerini] had just signed her record deal and put out 'Love Me Like You Mean It.'

"It got to me and I just lost my record deal, and I was like 'I'm Carly Pearce,' and I just started sobbing and I was like 'I have no idea what I'm going to do,'" she continues. "And after that group, she gave me her phone number and we stayed in touch and that lead just to this sisterhood."

The Kentucky native hopes to be a support to other females, much like Ballerini has been to her.

"I think we have to show women and young girls that they have a voice, that they are strong, that they can have big dreams, and that no man should be able to tell them that they can do something," Pearce tells PopCulture.com. "I think with my story in particular; I had a lot of people tell me that I couldn't do it and, I persevered. I think that for anybody who has a dream, look at my story and understand, you can do it girl. Do it girls! You have a lot of grit."

Photo Credit: Getty images/Mat Hayward