Kellie Pickler

Kellie Dawn Pickler is an American country music singer, actress, and television personality. She first gained national attention as a contestant on the fifth season of the television competition show American Idol, finishing in sixth place. Following her time on the show, she launched a career as a recording artist, television presenter, and performer.

Pickler was born on June 28, 1986, in Albemarle, North Carolina, to Cynthia Morton and Clyde "Bo" Raymond Pickler Jr. Due to her mother's absence and her father's periodic incarceration, she spent much of her childhood raised by her grandparents, Faye Pickler and former electrician Clyde Raymond Pickler Sr. She graduated in 2004 from North Stanly High School in New London, North Carolina, where she was a cheerleader.

In late 2005, Pickler auditioned for American Idol in Greensboro, North Carolina, and advanced to the top 12 in March 2006. Following her elimination, she signed with 19 Recordings and BNA Records in July 2006. Her debut studio album, Small Town Girl, was released in October 2006, debuting at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and going on to sell over 900,000 copies. Certified gold by the RIAA, the album generated three top-twenty country singles: "Red High Heels," "I Wonder," and "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind."

Pickler released her self-titled second studio album in September 2008, which also debuted at the top of the country chart. The album featured four singles, including "Best Days of Your Life," a track she co-wrote with Taylor Swift that became Pickler's first top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. During this period, she served as an opening act on Brad Paisley's tour, accompanied Swift on her Fearless Tour, and launched her own headlining concert tour.

In 2012, Pickler released her third album, 100 Proof, produced by Frank Liddell. After ending her contract with Sony Music Nashville, she signed with Black River Entertainment and released her fourth studio album, The Woman I Am, in November 2013, which produced singles such as "Someone Somewhere Tonight" and "Little Bit Gypsy."

In addition to her music career, Pickler won the sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars with partner Derek Hough on May 21, 2013. She was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2016. From 2017 to 2019, she co-hosted the syndicated daytime talk show Pickler & Ben alongside comedian Ben Aaron. Her other projects include voicing Mirabelle in the animated release VeggieTales: Beauty and the Beet, starring in the CMT reality show I Love Kellie Pickler, and working as a DJ on SiriusXM's country station The Highway starting in February 2022.

Pickler married Nashville songwriter and record producer Kyle Jacobs on January 1, 2011. Jacobs died in February 2023.