You can be told “no” only so many times.

This was the reality of the music biz, at least for singer Billy Gilman, the Hope Valley, R.I., native who became an internationally charting country music artist in 2000 — at the age of 11 — with the hit single “One Voice.” Over the next few years, he sold millions of records and toured with acts like The Dixie Chicks.

But the career arc of “child stars” is historically not great. And while Gilman never became a victim of the indulgent or inebriate pitfalls of early success, it’s also true that he had a very difficult time trying to sustain any interest from record labels or booking agents once he matured out of what might be cruelly called his “cute phase.”

“To be honest with you, I’d had enough of being turned down,” Gilman says, explaining why, earlier this year, the now-28-year-old auditioned in New York City for NBC’s top-rated talent competition, “The Voice.” “For so many years (after losing his record deal), I tried to spin off and do my own thing, but without the support behind you, it’s almost impossible. That’s where the music business is going, whether you sing well or not.”

In recent years, Gilman released a series of great pop-country songs — many of which he co-wrote — including “Falling,” “Red to Blue,” “Girl, It’s You,” “Summertime” and “Say You Will.” He even filmed the video for “Say You Will” in New London at The Garde Arts Center. But despite the quality of the performances and material, the tunes got lost in the maelstrom of independent downloads released by artists every day. Too, in 2014, Gilman came out as gay. And while he’s never suggested his sexual orientation has interfered with his career, it’s also true that country music’s fan demographic — generally more conservative than rock or hip-hop audiences — may be less accepting of openly gay artists.

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As for “The Voice” audition, not only did Gilman get selected to go to Los Angeles for the televised portion of the show, but his debut performance, a staggering version of Adele’s “When We Were Young,” caused all four judges to spin their “blind audition” chairs in hopes of securing Gilman for their respective teams. Sales of Gilman’s rendition became the largest-selling iTunes download in the history of “The Voice.”

Now a member of Team Adam (Levine) — the show’s other judges are Alicia Keys, Blake Shelton and Miley Cyrus — Gilman last week advanced through the Battle Round of the competition after singing a duet of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” with teammate Andrew DeMuro. Gilman’s run on “The Voice” continues tonight and Tuesday at 9 p.m. on ABC.

Last week, by phone from his Hope Valley home during a break in “The Voice” season, Gilman spoke about his career, “The Voice,” and his experiences so far on the program.

On why he decided to try out for “The Voice”:

“Actually, (‘The Voice’) asked me for a couple of years to audition, but I felt nervous about it. I still held out hope that something I was already trying would work out. This year, I felt for some reason it was my moment to say something professionally; I’m not sure why. And when (the show) asked me again to come down to New York and audition, I sat down with my family and people important in my life and Angela (Bacari, Gilman’s longtime voice coach and, he says, ‘The one who’s believed in me all along’).

“And literally each of them told me the same thing. ‘Why not give it a try? What have you got to lose? You’re not a kid anymore, and so many child stars have had a rough time.’ I have such a great family and friends, and I was so tired of working my butt off with no success. I was so tired of no, no, no, you don’t fit this demographic or that vision or whatever.”

On his decision to join Team Adam when all four judges wanted him:

“Just as I was finishing (the Adele performance), I closed my eyes, but just as I did, I saw that Adam and Miley had turned around, and I relaxed a bit. At least someone wanted me. And when I opened my eyes, I saw all four of them. I’m so glad the cameras didn’t show my legs because they were shaking like I was on a cruise ship. I had a moment to try to think because they were all talking about my performance. They’re all so impressive, and I could see the belief in all of them. But when Adam said, ‘We’ve got a fight on our hands, and we need America to see and hear who you are,’ he had such conviction. It was undeniable.

“Since then, Adam has been amazing. He’ll tell you if you’re over-singing or not presenting the material properly. I stay up late a lot of nights preparing because I want Adam to see the work I’ve put into it. I didn’t want to sing ‘Man in the Mirror.” It’s a song that’s not in my wheelhouse. But Adam insisted and, in retrospect, I understand he was testing me to see how I would respond.”

On whether he might be pursuing a decidedly pop direction:

“It’s actually complicated. For about a month before the actual competition, I was deliberating and trying to think how I was going to attack this and how America would react to what I’d do or say. I told Angela, ‘I’m going to do it my way this time.’ I spent so many years doing what record labels told me, or what I thought the labels wanted me to do. And something occurred to me. If I’m listening to music or I’m with friends and we do karaoke, I always sing pop ballads or songs by artists like Celine Dion. It’s not country stuff.

“I want to sing great songs that I like, and I want to be able to inspire people with my voice and express myself doing the things I want to do. And some people might say, ‘Well, this isn’t (Billy).’ And, no, (the new direction) isn’t what or where I was — but it’s where I am now. I’ve come to believe you have to be 100 percent authentic, and only then do you shine through.”

On the experience of being on “The Voice”:

“To be honest, there’s a lot of work and pressure, but there are also so many fun and rewarding moments. It’s work that’s a joy to do, and everyone is so supportive ... of one another. The scary part comes when, after you spend so much time preparing, you get that one minute and 50 seconds onstage. And if you hit a bad note or your voice cracks going high, well ... you have to perform.

“But I learned something from my back-story that’s helpful. When I was younger, I met or worked with a lot of labels and music business people, and you get to where you can immediately recognize someone who’s a snake and won’t hesitate to put you in a bad light — or you instantly know if it’s someone you can trust. Everyone associated with ‘The Voice’ holds you in such high regard. They take great care of us. They worry about how to present our story lines, they treat our families wonderfully, they make sure we eat right and get enough sleep, and there are doctors on hand. It’s just been an unbelievably positive experience.”