Kellie Pickler grew up immersed in country music in the small town of Albemarle, North Carolina with the words of Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton shaping her musical footing. At the age of 19, she gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of “American Idol.” In 2006, she signed with 19 Recordings/BNA Records and released her debut album, Small Town Girl, which has gone on to sell more than 900,000 copies worldwide and produce three hit singles: “Red High Heels,” “I Wonder,” and “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind.” She followed that in 2008 with her self- titled sophomore record, featuring country radio hits “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” “Best Days of Your Life” (co-written with Taylor Swift and her first Top 10), and “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You.” Having established herself as not only a powerful vocalist but also a songwriter, Pickler released her third studio album, 100 Proof, in 2011 to huge critica... l acclaim. The album was named the No. 1 Country Album of The Year by Rolling Stone and was listed on “Best of 2012” lists by Washington Post, Rhapsody, AOL’s The Boot and more.In spring of 2013, Pickler partnered with dance coach Derek Hough and won the Mirror Ball Trophy on “Dancing with the Stars.” That same year, she also released her fourth album, The Woman I Am, with Black River Entertainment, which featured three songs co-written by Pickler including the title cut. She voiced the lead character, a sweet potato named Mirabelle, in the Veggie Tales animated movie “Beauty and the Beet” in 2014, and launched her home goods line, “Selma Drye by Kellie Pickler” in cooperation with the Opry Stores (shop.opry.com) in 2015. She returned to “American Idol” twice in 2016: in February she mentored two of the Top 24 finalists, and in April she performed on the series finale. Her CMT docu-comedy series “I Love Kellie Pickler” which co-stars her husband, songwriter/producer Kyle Jacobs, debuted in November 2015, propelling the network to its highest premiere with adults since 2012 and women since 2008. The hit television series returned for a second season in August 2016. The lively and unpredictable Pickler is a television favorite, having made guest appearances on shows such as “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Ellen,” “FOX & Friends,” “Good Morning America,” “Meredith,” “Queen Latifah,” “Rachel Ray,” “The Real,” “Steve Harvey Show,” “Today,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and more.
