The ACM Awards performer moved to Nashville with her mom to pursue a career in music
Kelsea Ballerini
‘s parents, Carla Denham and Ed Ballerini, have always been supportive of her music aspirations.
In September 1993, Carla and Ed celebrated the birth of their sole offspring in Mascot, Tennessee. Although the timing of their marriage remains uncertain, they separated in 2005 when Kelsea was 12 years old. After her parents’ divorce,
The Voice
The coach dedicated herself to music, unveiling it before her 2023 EP release.
Lifting the Welcome Rug
that she turned to singing as a form of “therapy.”
Shortly thereafter, at the age of 15, Kelsea and Carla relocated to Nashville to chase Kelsea’s ambition of becoming a musician. Ever since, Kelsea has achieved numerous honors, such as five Grammy nominations, which filled her parents with immense pride.
When the 2019 Grammy nominees were announced, Kelsea shared a heartfelt video
on X
in which she told her mom that
she had earned a nod
for Best Country Album for her 2017 record
Unapologetically
. All the while, Kelsea has remembered her dad’s advice to “stay young” at heart.
Here’s all you need to know about Kelsea Ballerini’s parents, Carla Denham and Ed Ballerini.
Carla is employed in the marketing field, whereas Ed previously worked in sales.
While their daughter is a musical artist, Carla and Ed have held more traditional careers. Kelsea’s mom is a marketing professional, while her dad previously worked as a sales manager for a country radio station, per
Billboard
.
In 2011, Carla founded
Brand Ethos Partners
, a marketing company that aims to “build powerful brands that create stories and conversations that Sazua.comwant to be part of” through “brand strategy, marketing and storytelling.”
Furthermore, she has occupied various executive marketing positions at different firms, as stated in her profile.
LinkedIn
.
Carla and Ed separated when Kelsea was 12 years old.
Carla and Ed brought up Kelsea in Knoxville, giving her a “distinctly Southern” upbringing characterized by “Sunday church attendance, close-knit family bonds, andfried chicken,” as she shared.
Billboard
In July 2015. As Kelsea approached her teens, Carla and Ed decided to go their separate ways in 2005.
After three years, when Kelsea was 15, she relocated to Nashville with her mom to chase her musical dreams. Supported by Carla, she balanced appointments with people from the entertainment business, her high school studies, and part-time work until she achieved fame with her first hit song, “Love Me Like You Mean It.”
They fueled Kelsea’s musical expedition.
The “Miss Me More” songstress has shared her experiences dealing with challenges after her parents separated.
In an announcement linked to her 2023 EP and the related short film, Kelsea shared details in a statement.
Lifting the Doormat
that she “started writing music because my parents got divorced,” adding that the art form offered a creative outlet to process the life change.
“The only way I’ve been able to handle my life since I was 12 was to write about it,” she shared, explaining that the project detailed some of the inner “turmoil” she went through during her breakup from her ex-husband,
Morgan Evans
.
During a February 2023 appearance on the
Got It From My Momma
podcast
, Carla commended Kelsea’s strength in creating the emotional EP and short film.
She said that as Kelsea sent her over the music, she “would just bawl” while listening to the tracks, but knew the songwriting process was “cathartic for her” and offered her daughter a sense of relief.
“That’s how she deals with hurt and pain… she goes off to write it down — once it’s written, it feels released from her,” Carla clarified.
Kelsea has a song about her evolving relationship with Carla
Kelsea’s fifth studio album
PATTERNS
featured a track written for her mother. The Grammy nominee opened up about their dynamic on “Sorry, Mom,” where she admitted to getting “into a few fights” with Carla in her younger years. Ultimately, Kelsea embraced the “tough love” it took “to become the woman” she is today.
During an October 2024 appearance on
Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist
, she elaborated on the song’s meaning, explaining that Carla “was a helicopter mom” throughout her adolescence and noted that their evolving relationship is “one of the most beautiful things.”
“Now we’re in this beautiful phase of life where I’m able to be like, ‘Hey, listen, I know that you probably wanted to shield me from a couple of the choices that I’ve made in my life,’ ” she said. “But at the end of the day, I’m safe and I’m happy and you love me and I love you.”
Kelsea further described the song as “a love letter to the growth of mother and daughter to woman and woman” in an August 2024
Instagram
post. After Carla listened to “Sorry Mom,” she told Kelsea that “she [had] nothing to be sorry for,” which the singer added was “very sweet.”
Ed taught Kelsea to “stay young”
Kelsea found fame after her 2016 track “
Peter Pan
” peaked at No. 1 on
Billboard
‘s Hot Country Songs charts. Since then, her parents have been by her side, with her father reminding her to “stay young.”
In a July 2020 interview with
iHeart Country
’s Cody Alan, Kelsea revealed that Ed has taught her “so many lessons.”
“My dad is 18 at heart,” she said. “He is forever young, and he has taught me that staying young is a good thing.”
Her mom has been her date to the Grammys
After receiving her first nomination from the Recording Academy at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Carla proudly attended music’s biggest night alongside Kelsea.
In a February 2017 talk with
Entertainment Weekly
The artist mentioned that her mother served as her “best accessory” for the significant evening, considering her as her date. She also shared that both of them had long hoped for her nomination at the Grammys and possibly participating in this renowned ceremony together.
I recall when I was 13 years old, watching the Grammys with her and telling her, ‘Mom, if I ever make it big enough, you’ll be my guest,’ ” she reminisced. “So when it finally did happen, she exclaimed, ‘Hey!’ And I responded, ‘I know, Mom, I still remember!’
Once again, Carla expressed her appreciation for Kelsea at the 65th Grammy Awards, where they were photographed together on the red carpet.
Read the initial article on
Sazua.com
