The following article mentions suicide.
You have likely heard of Kellie Pickler, even if you are not a fan of country music.
Although she didn’t win the competition, coming in 6th place, her talent captivated the world.
Pickler’s life hasn’t been the same since she made her reality TV debut.
In spite of her astronomical success, though, life hasn’t always been happy for Pickler.
Here’s more about the inspiring journey of country music sensation Kellie Pickler.
Not only did it help her launch her career, but it was also a lot of fun.
Of her time, she toldSpotlight Central, “I just think it went really fast!
But it was an incredible experience.”
“I wish I had written so many things down and kept notes,” she said.
With or without notes, the show was a transformative experience for Pickler.
“[I]t completely changed my life for the better.
It led me to Nashville, and it helped my dreams to become a reality.”
Her father was in and out of prison, leaving Pickler to be raised by her grandparents.
“Looking at it now, as an adult, that’s not normal,” she said.
“That’s not the way it’s supposed to be.”
Pickler added that much of the responsibility of parenting her younger siblings fell on her shoulders.
“I didn’t have time to study,” she said.
“I was too busy being a parent.
I had to learn how to almost be a homemaker in a way.”
“Everyone pays their dues in different ways,” she said.
No one can say that Pickler hasn’t paid her dues many times over.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be a part of the Hallmark family,” Pickler told Parade.
In 2019, she toldGood Housekeepingthat she still feels “new to the whole acting thing.”
According to the singer, her inner circle is one of the big reasons why.
As she toldThe Press-Enterprise,“After ‘Idol,’ I surrounded myself with good people.”
“You have got to cut toxic and negative people out of your life,” she said.
After her victory, Pickler toldUs Weekly, “I’m overwhelmed with joy.”
The singer didn’t expect to make it to the finals, let alone win the whole thing.
“I was shocked to have made it this far,” she said.
But the thing that has helped me the most, my greatest strength, is my flexibility."
The series premiered in 2017 and was co-hosted with Ben Aaron.
“It’s positive, it’s fun, it’s uplifting.
It’s one hour of just pure joy and laughter.”
The talk show wasn’t her first television show, though.
Pickler landed her own reality series, “I Love Kellie Pickler,” in 2015.
“This show is about laughter and love,” she toldBroadway World).
“We just want to be a bright light and make people laugh and feel good.”
Her husband died in 2023
Pickler soon released a heartbreaking statement about her husband’s death.
“I have chosen to heed his advice.”
Pickler also addressed the outpouring of love she’d received in response to Jacobs' death.
As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers."
Before Jacobs' tragic death, Pickler opened up about the special bond that the couple shared.
“He makes me feel so, so great about myself,” Pickler toldThe Bootin 2010.
“I feel so beautiful when I’m with him.
He always tells me he likes me better with no makeup on and sweatpants.
He makes me feel the most beautiful when I’m with him.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available.
“He is so good at what he does,” said Pickler.
Faye died just one day after receiving her lung cancer diagnosis.
This loss hit hard.
The sudden loss left Kellie reeling and would impact the rest of her life.
Instead, Pickler grew up idolizing legendary country artists like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette.
“I feel like we were all raised the same.”
However, she noted, “I never wanted to be a pop singer.”
And when it’s time to dress up for an event or a night out, she commits.
“I don’t like the middle ground.”
“I’m a lady when I need to be.”
Whenever the inspiration strikes her, she has her pen at the ready.
She is not the bang out to map what she’s going to work on, either.
“I just write about whatever I feel like that day,” Pickler toldCNN.
“I don’t ever sit down with a plan.”
The song came about with no planning whatsoever.
The pair started writing when Pickler had some personal drama to work through.
Everything unfolded from there.
“No intentions of writing, just talking and we started playing,” said Pickler.
“Never thought anyone would hear it.”
The singer loves the outdoors, which was something she shared with her late husband.
Once, the singer toldOK!magazine that they were particularly fond of hiking and canoeing.
While hiking and canoeing may seem rather tame, Pickler has gotten pretty wild in her past.
They squeezed through the fence in the middle of the night while drunk.
Pickler admitted that the best way to get her to do something is to dare her.
“My pride gets the best of me when someone says, ‘You won’t do it.'”
What’s more, her life on the road kept her plenty busy.
Even years later, things didn’t change too much.
While Pickler moved on from “parenting” her band to becoming a pet parent.
As she toldUs Weeklyin 2019, the couple was proudly raising their new puppies.
“We’re dog parents for now,” she said.
At the time, she and her husband still weren’t thinking about having kids in the near future.
Pickler isn’t proud of it, but she’s got quite a fondness for dropping f-bombs.
“It’s an awful cuss word,” she said.
It’s my go-to word, and it’s awful, because it’s so unladylike."
Pickler was even a bridesmaid at McPhee’s 2007 wedding to her first husband, Nick Cokas.
“I was so honored when Katharine asked me to be a bridesmaid,” Pickler toldPeople.
“[The wedding] was like a fairy tale.
I didn’t want it to end.”
“I was really mad!”
she said, adding, “I heard about [the elopement] on Twitter!
I was bummed.”
Pickler channeled her late grandmother, Faye Pickler, to nail the sweet potato’s equally sweet character.
“She has such a beautiful and forgiving heart where she will let things go.”
In an interview withE!
News, she admitted that she is a bit of a homebody who enjoys the simpler things in life.
“I love gardening.
My friends call me the fifth unofficial Golden Girl,” she said.
“I love puzzles.
I love good conversations.
I love to sit on the front porch in my rocking chair.
I just like to be in good company.”
“I hate the word celebrity,” she said.
Pickler’s down-to-earth attitude was inspired by country legend Dolly Parton.
In an interview withSounds Like Nashville, Pickler said, “Everybody’s gotta make a living.
There’s a difference, you know?”
When Miller realized that chemotherapy was inevitable, she dreaded the thought of losing her hair.
That’s when Pickler went into ride-or-die mode and decided to shave her head in support of Miller.
Pickler’s husband, Kyle Jacobs, also shaved his head to show solidarity with Miller.
Pickler saw her bold new haircut as a way to promote the importance of breast cancer screenings.
“Cancer does not discriminate,” Pickler said in a statement toABC News.
Looking back, Pickler toldRedbookthat she loved shaving her head.
As of this writing, it seems she’s still waiting for that dream to become a reality.
She even has a role in mind: fellow country crooner Tammy Wynette.
“I want them to do like a Tammy Wynette Broadway musical!”
she once told Country Weekly (viaPlaybill).
“That would be amazing!”
“I’ve watched that move a million times.
I know it by heart.”
“This is such a fun and amazing opportunity to really connect with country music fans across North America.
In 2023, Pickler’s SiriusXM show ended.
“I’ve been called worse!”
Rather than adding fuel to the “Tomatogate” fire, Pickler said she was counting her blessings.
Her visits featured live performances, meet-and-greets, and mealtime with the troops.
“It feels good to be a part of something that matters,” Pickler toldUSO.
“It feels good to give back.
The singer chronicled her USO visits on social media.
In 2012, Pickler stripped down for a special “Salute to the Military” issue of Maxim.
The photo spread featured Pickler wearing a pin-up-inspired bikini and cozying up with some hunky servicemen.
It was a proud moment for the country superstar.
“It really does take someone special to sacrifice everything.
I don’t mean just their lives, either.
There are men who are sacrificing the chance to hold their newborn baby!”
Her net worth reportedly falls somewhere in the ballpark of $4 million.
Not too shabby for a self-proclaimed small town girl.
Pickler’s lucrative career has afforded her a luxurious lifestyle.
In 2023, the songstress placed her Nashville home on the market for a cool $2.8 million.
Pickler and her late husband purchased the stunning abode in 2010 for just under $1.5 million.
